Stained Halo
by SlowGraffiti
Summary: [AU] The prevention of one man's death alters the course of Aeris' life. Will destiny deal her new cards, or will her fate remain one and the same? [Ch. 10: Zack makes a discovery and Aeris runs into Reno in an unexpected place.]
1. Grim Reaper's Failure

**Stained Halo**  
Chapter 1: Grim Reaper's Failure

After the first explosion, he thought that the rocky terrain he was fleeing through was the closest thing to hell on earth. After the second went off mere feet away from him, he was sure it actually _was_ hell. Blood was everywhere, staining soldier's twisted bodies and the ground. Even the air seemed to turn crimson with all the panic and death filling it. His thoughts were frantic, crazed, how could anyone think clearly in this mess? What had been a battlefield ten minutes ago was quickly turning into a mass grave. The cunning Wutai warriors had unleashed an ambush so deadly that the invading Shinra forces were finding themselves being pushed back brutally.

Escape was the only option left for him and all the other unfortunate souls trapped in this tomb. His eyes scanned the area desperately for a hiding spot as he dodged the weapons, bullets, and magic assaults being launched all around him. Suddenly, a cry erupted out of him as he hit the ground. Looking back he saw he'd lost his footing over a corpse. Horrified, he scrambled away hurriedly.

So much death...and for what? To satisfy Shinra's greed. But for once, it seemed that Shinra had met its match. These Wutaian fighters were as passionate as they were skilled. They would never give up their land willingly.

Finally, he reached a small opening within one of the many rocky hills that filled the field. It would have been impossible to run any longer; if exhaustion didn't kill him, one of the ninjas certainly would. Crouching down he hid inside the stony sanctuary and held his breath. He felt as if despite the enormous battle clamor, a tiny sound would give him away. But even if he remained unseen until the onslaught lessened, where would he run? He was trapped on an island.

His thoughts were cut short when a Shinra soldier was brought down by a ninja star mere feet outside of his hiding place. The man twisted back horribly as it sliced through his spine and fell to the ground. But he fell in such a way that he was directly facing the hiding spot of the soldier crouching among the rocks.

Ice-cold fear ran through him when he realized the fallen soldier saw him - and dear god, was reaching what should be a totally limp arm out to him. That idiot would expose him! He fiercely shook his head as the man grunted something that sounded like 'help.' The man was clearly going to die, why would he bring his fellow soldier down with him? There was nothing he could do for him.

Nevertheless, pity welled up within his chest as he watched the man slowly submit to his helplessness. He badly wanted to look away, knew that he _needed_ to look away if he valued his life at all. But he couldn't. The man was just a few steps away, if he could only run over and grab him without being seen ... but what if he was caught? He'd be killed, taken down in an instant.

"Oh, to hell with it."

Before logic could stop him, he hurtled himself out of the small cave, and with adrenaline pushing his feet to lightning quick speed, he ran over to the fallen man, grabbed him and pulled him back to his hiding spot. He collapsed within it, as immense fear ran through him. But no one came after him.

He looked down at the man he was cradling. He was badly hurt and probably wouldn't last much longer. Fiddling through his own pockets he pulled out a few potions and a cure materia. He hadn't had a chance to use them since the battle had moved far too quickly for him to do anything but run. Now he went to work on the man, knowing that it wouldn't be powerful enough to help him significantly, but it would at least ease the pain and stop the blood.

Carefully, he turned him over so he could tend to the wound on his back. When he pulled up the blood soaked shirt, his eyes widened in shock. The cut had literally missed the spinal chord by what couldn't be more than a finger's width. Wutai warriors didn't ever miss their targets. This was a very lucky man; by all logic he should be dead.

After the healing treatment had been applied he turned the man back over and leaned him on his side against the wall. He gave a small start when he noticed his eyes were open.

"Are you ... conscious?" He tilted his head to the side to study the man's face. He was older, and by the looks of it no soldier at all. Probably just like him, he'd been ripped out of his normal life by that damn draft.

The man gave a small nod as a response, his face randomly twitching with pain, but on the whole he was strangely calm. His composed state was unnerving, and the younger man couldn't help but ask himself if he realized what just happened or whether he was in some state of shock.

"You know you're one lucky son of a ..."

"I know," he breathed out, "I should be dead."

The younger man gave a weak smile. "Hell, I should be too."

But the other man shook his head slowly.

"No, I mean it. I should be dead. It was as if I was already gone, but somehow you pulled me back," he let out a small grunt of pain before adding a "thank you."

"Ah, it was nothing," he lied. He peered outside, "I'm telling you though, I don't know how much I extended your life by. We can't hide forever."

But the other man was slowly giving in to fatigue; his eyes were halfway shut until all of a sudden the explosions outside seemed to triple. Both men's hands flew to cover their ears. Hell was breaking loose all around them, but neither was willing to peer outside and see what was unleashing this noise. It only took a few minutes for the noise to stop. Only a few shots rang through the air--it was so quiet compared to the previous moment that it felt like complete silence.

Both of their bodies shook violently as they imagined the worst. The younger man couldn't take it anymore. He carefully crawled outside the cave to examine the area, but his surveillance was cut short as a boot stepped right in front of him and he heard the clicking of a gun above him. _It's over_, he thought to himself as he awaited the bullet. But instead came a voice asking him if he was all right.

He shifted his gaze upwards and saw no cruel Wutai warrior.No, he saw a young man in a SOLDIER's uniform. Which meant Sephiroth and his troop had arrived. Which meant the Wutai warriors stood absolutely no chance.

They were saved.

The last thing he ever did on the Wutai shore was ask the man he'd saved what he was going home to. His response was a smile and the picture of a smiling brunette.

"Her name's Elmyra."


	2. Consequence

Stained Halo  
Chapter 2: Consequence

Cold stares were fixed upon a mother daughter pair as a train rumbled along its tracks. The mother's incessant coughing and the young girl's sad whimpers weren't enough to instill pity into the tired travelers around them that had seen scenes such as this unfold countless times before. After all, this was the unfeeling city of Midgar. But the sick outbursts were enough to keep the passengers awake and thus annoyed.

"Ten minutes until arrival at the Midgar train station, please start gathering your belongings. Ten minutes until arrival at the Midgar train station, please start gathering your belongings."

The voice on the intercom broke off in cue with another violent wave of coughing erupting from the sick mother. The little girl hugged her fiercely as if to shield her from whatever evil force was making her so sick.

After gaining control of herself, the mother cupped her daughter's face in her hands and tried to smile as best she could to offer some strange comfort to them both. This sorrowful play of pretend that the situation at hand wasn't occurring was shattered when the mother referred back to it, "We're almost there honey, do you remember what I told you?"

The girl nodded sadly, remembering the occurrences of the past two days. After breaking out from the lab they had run so long. It had seemed they were getting away until a bullet hit her mother. It had been so awful, she'd never seen so much blood in her life, and to see it on her mom had been too much. At the last minute her mother had managed a healing spell to get herself back on her feet. By some miracle they'd gathered the strength to run on and take refuge on a train heading to Midgar. She was so sure that she and her mother were safe then. That everything would be all right. But the realization that the healing spell would only hold for a temporary amount of time came as hard as the bullet itself. She didn't understand why this was happening, and why her mother had made her promise to leave her once they arrived in the city. It made no sense to her at all, but she was so desperate to make her mother happy, to make her well again, that she'd agreed as soon as she explained their imminent goodbye.

The exhausted woman leaned her head back against the window, trying to keep the pain within her body from driving her into deliriousness, and concentrated on communicating with the Planet. Those that had always guided her were speaking of her daughter's great importance as the last in their lineage, of her safekeeping in the hands of a woman that she would soon meet.

_Don't cry now_, she told herself. Her vision focused on her daughter, her beautiful, beautiful daughter, who at the moment was so scared and confused that it broke her heart to look at her. She lifted her little chin up to meet her eye to eye.

"Aeris, we're almost there sweetie," she stroked her hair and added, "I love you."

"Mama, I know I promised, but can't you come with me once we arrive? You seem to be getting better and I'll bet there are doctors and..." Aeris offered a smile, as if with that suggestion she had just fixed the entire situation, but Ifalna seemed to only grow sadder.

"Oh, honey, you know why I can't come with you," she stroked her hair sympathetically, "But that doesn't mean it's goodbye forever. I'll be with you just as our people are with you."

Aeris shook her head as tears welled up in her eyes, "No Mama, they don't hug me, don't kiss me goodnight, they don't sing to me when I'm sad, Mama I don't want to leave you. I can't leave you." She buried her face in her mother's chest, softly crying.

"Oh please don't cry my angel. There'll be someone else who'll do all that for you. The Cetra told me you'll have a guardian who will take good care of you." But she herself was fighting the lump in her throat threatening to turn into sobs. She couldn't help it. This was so hard - too hard. At this point, the train came to a stop and the passengers began to make their way out. Gathering all her strength and grinding her teeth to keep herself from crying out in pain, Ifalna stood up, grabbed Aeris' hand, and began to stumble towards the exit. Their fellow passengers cleared a path for them, too disgusted and scared to make contact with whatever disease the woman might be carrying.

As they stepped into the humid air outside, Ifalna's eyes began frantically searching for the woman that was meant to keep Aeris safe. Panic rose through her as her search proved fruitless, but it was subdued upon seeing the same woman she had seen in her dreams so many times the past few nights. She squeezed Aeris' hand and began to make her way over to her daughter's salvation. That's when the pain intensified into a blinding sensation.

"Ahh, I can't..."

In midstep she collapsed onto the concrete without enough strength to gather herself up again. She heard Aeris scream and everything began to go blurry. But she wouldn't let herself slide, not until the woman took her daughter.

She looked over to where she was standing; relieved to see she was already making her way over with a worried expression.

"Please..." she choked out as Aeris bent over her form, sobbing uncontrollably.

Everything was so hard, so painful, but it was all going to plan, and in that she felt peace. The woman was moving over hurriedly, reaching her arm slightly forward as if that gesture would decrease the time it took to reach them - until a male voice shattered everything.

"Elmyra!" It came strong and clear, and it was terrible.

The woman froze, and her brown eyes widened with disbelief as she spun around and ran over to the source of the voice. Upon reaching him and being hit by the realization of his being alive and well, she leapt into his arms and showered him with kisses. She did not so much as glance back at Ifalna and Aeris as he carried her off. Aeris' caretaker was gone. Gone. Gone. And Ifalna felt her own life slipping; she knew she only had a few more minutes. A wave of panic pushed into her lungs as she felt the despair of the Ancients add to her own, their voice breaking into her thoughts.

**_He was not supposed to live._**

_You swore._

_**We cannot control what happens in your world.**_

_But you SWORE._

_**Her fate is one and the same, just...**_

But the anger seething within her blocked the remainder of their words. The Planet had failed them, had failed Aeris, their precious "last Ancient".

_Don't you DARE speak of her fate. From this point on she owes you nothing._

Nothing.

As death's strong grasp pulled her one way, her angry determination pulled her the other. And with all that was left in her she looked up at her little girl whose puffy, red eyes were filled with fear.

"I love you, Aeris. I'm so, so, so sorry," but she wouldn't let it end this way. If the Planet abandoned her daughter, she would certainly make sure it received no better treatment, "From now on you take care of only yourself. Don't listen to them. Just shut them out, keep them out of your mind. Don't do anything they ask you ... you live ... you live for yourself and no one else, swear ... it."

"Mama..."

"Please, swear."

Aeris nodded hastily, not really understanding, but feeling it awfully important to do so anyway, "I swear, Mama, I swear."

And Ifalna closed her eyes not in peace, nor in panic - she closed them knowing that for better or for worse, fate would hold no power over her daughter. Aeris had promised.

Emerald eyes shot wide open as Aeris woke up gasping. She sat up in bed trembling, cold sweat trickling down her face, and laid her forehead in her hands to try to gain control over the emotions racing through her. Her nervous form jumped in fear when she felt a warm arm wrap around her waist. But upon recognizing it a second later she took comfort in its support. Her soft gasps were joined by a groggy voice in interrupting the silence that wished to fill the dark room.

"Another one?"

She responded with a nod, "The same one again, it's been coming for a week straight."

With a tired sigh, the man lying next to her sat up and placed his free arm around her shoulders, pulling her close and yawning.

"The one about your past," he added in a sleepy tone.

She let herself relax against him, not commenting on the obvious. His patience was surely slipping with all her nightmares waking him constantly, but she couldn't help it. She had written this dream off as a bad flashback the first three times it visited her. But now she could no longer do that. Either she had worse mental issues than she thought, or something was trying to alert her of ... something else. It made no sense really; she had done everything in her power to _forget_ her past, why would it just suddenly rise up on her again? And so powerfully at that...

Her focus moved over to the open window that displayed the dark blue of the night sky broken by the looming danger that hung among its stars. A bright orange meteor had been visibly taunting the Planet with threats to its life for two days now. It was a wonder anyone on the Planet could sleep knowing what was rapidly approaching. The man next to her, in his usual fashion, had seemed totally unaffected when it first appeared. Midgar was a hardened city, and its inhabitants were so emotionally calloused that not even the Apocalypse seemed to stir much beyond annoyance and regret that they'd never gotten out of the hellhole. But this dream... A part of her nudged at the notion that it was somehow connected with the meteor's appearance. She blew her bangs out of her eyes, irritated with herself. She was probably just going through some emotional crisis due to all that had been going on in her life the past few months, and the meteor was just a catalyst for some big breakdown. And she was just being silly and overly emotional in front of the one person who hated seeing that in people.

"I'm sorry, let's just go back to sleep, this is..."

Her words were cut short when the Planet's scream suddenly reverberated through her skull. It was utter torture. She tore out of the man's grasp and stumbled out of bed, clutching her head to make it stop. Over the years her mother's bitter whispers had urged her to block the Planet's voice from her mind - she had barely heard its whimpers, and now its sudden desperate cry was too much for her to handle. She would have collapsed on the floor if two quick arms hadn't caught her first. At first she struggled against them, wanting nothing more than to hurl herself on the floor and knock herself out if that's what it took to make the Planet's pain stop invading her. But he only tightened his grip and shouted her name to bring her back to him. To his horror she went completely still.

"Oh fuck. Aeris, wake up!" He began to shake her, thinking she'd fainted or worse. But a breath of relief escaped his lips when he saw her blink. She seemed to be listening very intently to something that he couldn't hear, and all he could do was watch her face grow with worry. Ages seemed to pass, and he grew more and more impatient and was about to break her out of her daze with a slap, when her focus suddenly shifted to the window past his shoulder. Something in her gaze disturbed him - something that looked so tragically, hopelessly sad. He couldn't take it.

"Just what the hell is going on with you?"

She shook her head sadly.

"I listened to them...to her. For the first time in years, and..." Her eyes met his, and he noticed how full of tears they were. She was making absolutely no sense, and he would've thrown in an exasperated comment about her needing to get a damn hold of herself if that look in her eyes weren't there. The look that told him she was completely sane and on the verge of revealing something terribly important. One of her slender hands pushed a strand of his fiery hair out of his face as her other hand moved up to cover her mouth.

"Oh Reno," she breathed out, "it wasn't supposed to be like this. It wasn't supposed to be anything like this."

But it was. And it could all traced back to a solemn night at a solemn train station fifteen years in the past.


	3. Tumbling Dice

Stained Halo  
Chapter 3: Tumbling Dice

Aeris wasn't aware that she was screaming until her lungs gave way. Despair flooded every part of her being, and her pain escaped violently through her wails. She clung to Ifalna's lifeless body as if even her physical form would slip away if she let go. Her mother, her best friend, the only thing that loved her in the world was gone. She had never felt this kind of sting before - it hurt _so_ bad.

When there was no more energy left within her to keep sobbing, she submitted to lying atop her mother's figure whimpering. The realization that her mother was gone crashed against her over and over like waves in a turbulent storm.

The scene managed to instill pity even into the hardened inhabitants of the Midgar slums. People lost love ones on a daily basis in those parts; but to see such a young child go through the ordeal of losing her mother alone was too much. The train conductor decided to call a guard. He was sure he wouldn't be able to comfort the girl, but at least he could get a roof over her head in an orphanage.

When the guard reached the scene he carefully touched Aeris' shoulder to catch her attention. She shook it off, keeping her head buried in her mother's dress. No one could fix this, no one could bring her back, and she didn't want to speak or look at anyone as long as that was the case. If Ifalna had at least gone with a smile, if she had at least closed her eyes peacefully, then _maybe_ Aeris would've been more calm. But she had heard the despair in her mother's shaky voice and seen the anger in her eyes. _They_ had done this to her. Everyone. The Cetra had abandoned her. Those people on the train had looked at them with such contempt. And those stupid, stupid Shinra soldiers had shot her mom, had killed her, just to get them to go back to that stupid lab.

Filled with sudden dread, Aeris looked up at the man hovering above her. That blue uniform, that gun at his right side... Anger and panic filled her as she recognized his outfit. He was part of Shinra. He would take her back to the lab after her mother had died trying to keep her safe from it. No. No!

A fresh wave of tears broke out of her as she realized they would never leave her alone. Not even now, when her mother was dead, and all she wanted to do was lie by her and mourn. She looked down at her mother's cold face and kissed it, knowing what she had to do - what she would continue to have to do for the rest of her life. Her mama had died for this. The guard was saying something to her but she was ignoring it and focusing her attention on the silent battle raging within her.

_Go._

Whether it had been her mother, the Cetra, or her own will for survival, she wasn't sure - but all it took was that small voice to get her on her feet and running, no, flying through the streets of Midgar. Buildings and people were all a blur to her as she whizzed past them. The only thought in her mind was escape, and she felt her little legs moving at an unthinkable pace as she willed them to grant her this.

Twists, turns, corners, cars, alleys, she ran her way through and around all of these. Her vision never flickered anywhere but straightforward. She had to run as long as she could without thinking. If she dared to think about anything she would break down and the monster would catch her. She had to go, go, go...and crash.

All went black, but only for a second. Her eyelids struggled to separate as her head and side screamed for them to shut. It only took a few moments for her to realize what happened as an angry pedestrian told her to watch her "damn step next time". The only response she managed was a painful groan. Gathering what little was left of her breath and consciousness she crawled over to a corner of the building she was next to. And with the concrete as her mattress and her whimpers as her lullaby, she submitted to sleep.

She found herself in total blackness a second later, with Ifalna's arms around her in an eternity of stillness. How odd it was for her to feel so much warmth after the previous stinging cold. She didn't ask any questions, nor did she cry. She just laid in her mother's arms, enjoying the ever-fleeting moment. Her hair was stroked, her forehead kissed, and her cheek caressed many times before Ifalna's voice broke the beautiful silence.

"It's going to be hard for you my darling," she whispered.

"But you're going to make it. Oh yes, you will."

The tone of her mother's voice pushed some of her comfort away, carrying far more bitterness than it ever had before. But she wouldn't think about that now. At the moment all she wanted, was to lie in her arms and pretend she could stay there forever. She closed her eyes, and continued to listen to her mother's words.

"I'll always be here. I won't go to them, no I won't. So you can always talk to me. But you my heart, you can't stay. You have to live. You promised, remember?"

"I did, but..."

Ifalna held a finger to Aeris' mouth.

"Ssh. I'll be in your dreams and your thoughts when you need me. No matter how bad things get, know that I will _never_ abandon you. Never. But now you're going to wake up, and you're going to be a brave little angel. Go on."

Before any protests could be made on Aeris' part, the blackness and her mother faded away and were replaced by hurtful consciousness and ... car horns? Her eyes fluttered open, and she found herself lying in the same spot where she had fallen. It was still dark, but a look upwards showed an immense ceiling over the entire area.

Despite her sore body's protests, she slowly picked herself off the ground, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. After stretching a bit, she felt a weight in her pocket which she failed to notice before. Reaching down, she pulled out a small white orb. It was her mother's materia.

She kissed it and struggled the tears that pushed their way forward at the remembrance of the previous night.

But that dream had calmed her, and she didn't want to disappoint her mama. She had to be the brave angel she asked her to be. Climbing out of her hiding spot she noticed the streets were a lot fuller than the night before. _Must be morning._ The growling in her stomach confirmed this guess, and she set out to look for food.

Unfortunately she hadn't the slightest idea of where to look for it. She wandered the streets for what seemed an eternity. The people were so busy there; twice she asked someone for help and was shaken off before being able to utter a word. Growing frustrated, she decided to grab the sleeve of the next woman that passed.

"Look I don't have any money," the woman impatiently huffed before attempting to walk away.

Aeris pursued, "But I don't want money! I just want to know where I can find food!"

The woman paused and pointed her in the right direction before scurrying away again.

"Geez..." Aeris mumbled to herself.

After about fifteen minutes she reached a small market. There were stands all around her, but she was left feeling hopeless yet again. She _did_ need money. But how was she supposed to get it? She was starving and penniless, and by the looks of the suspicious vendors that was a bad combination. She plopped down near one stand to pull herself together before starting to cry again. She wasn't a brave angel, she was a poor, defenseless girl left to ward for herself in the most cruel city in the world.

_Cling._

Aeris looked down to find that two gil had landed next to her. A man walking by her nodded and mouthed, "You're welcome." So she could eat after all! Quickly she gathered up the money and ran to the nearest fruit stand. Her mouth watered at the sight of it. She grabbed two apples and handed the vendor her money, with a happy smile.

But as she bit into the first apple, it was rudely grabbed out of her hand. The vendor was standing before her with a furious expression.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he spat at her.

Fear ran through her. She had no idea what she'd done wrong. He inched nearer and nearer, and she found herself stuttering as she tried to come up with something to say to him.

Her silence seemed to anger him further. "These apples are five gil each! Do you have any idea how hard it is to get real fruit in this dump? Now give me the other one you filthy little rat!" He dove at her to grab the other apple out of her hand.

Instinctively, she covered her face with her arms, dropping the apple. He watched it roll into a dirty puddle and rounded on her again, his right hand balling into a fist.

"P..p..please don't..."

"My, my picking on children now Martin?"

Her watery eyes traveled up the body of a man who had just approached the scene. He looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties; dressed in a sharp black suit that starkly clashed with the people in rags surrounding him. He had short black hair, shiny, full, and very neatly and stylishly arranged atop his head. His eyes were a playful blue, shaped in such a way that one would find him to have a constant mischievous squint in them.

The vendor staggered back, "She stole my goods, sir. Nothing but a thief."

Aeris was going to protest, but the stranger spoke up first.

"Ah, stole, did she? Yes, you must know a lot about that. Isn't that right Martin? Don't you know _quite_ a bit about stealing?" He raised an eyebrow, as if awaiting an answer. But before the vendor could grunt out a defense, he continued.

"Poor girl picked the wrong guy to steal from too. Worst guy to steal from.. But that's another field you are certainly an expert in - stealing from the wrong people," he cocked his head to one side, "isn't that right?"

The vendor dropped the apple. He took a few steps back and held his hands up in defense, "I can explain!"

But the other man silenced him with a wave of his hand. He shifted his gaze down at a very confused and frightened Aeris and gave her a smile.

"I'm sorry this imbecile bothered you, dear. Are you still hungry?"

Slowly she nodded at him. Was someone actually being nice to her?

"How about Martin give you a new apple as an appetizer and then we go get some real food?"

He extended his hand to her, which she apprehensively took. Despite his helping her, something about this stranger made her uneasy. But she was very hungry, and he was the first person in Midgar to treat her like a human being. He lifted her up and turned to one of the men standing next to him. For the first time Aeris noticed he had three men with him, also dressed in black suits. They were all very tall and scary looking to her little eyes.

"Jay, take her to the car and watch her, will you? Stay there until we finish attending to business with Martin here."

Jay, a tall, muscular man with sandy hair buzzed off to a bare minimum looked odd in his business suit. He looked like he belonged in some camouflage outfit complete with a very large gun. But he looked even more odd holding the hand of a wide-eyed seven-year-old girl whilst leading her away.

It only took a few moments to reach a jet-black car. Jay moved to one of the back doors, opened it for her, and motioned for her to climb in. She felt a voice enter her mind. It was the Cetra's.

**_Don't._**

She frowned. _Shut up._ And then climbed in.

Instead of closing the door, Jay left it ajar as he leaned against the car and lit up a cigarette. Aeris wanted to ask him about where they were going and who that man was and why he was helping her, but Jay really didn't look like the talkative type. Her little body jumped when after five minutes of silence she heard an all too familiar sound - a gunshot.

"What was that!" she demanded.

Jay looked down at her and shrugged. Seconds later the man from before and one of his men appeared, nonchalantly walking towards the car. He gave her a broad smile and a wink as he climbed in next to her.

Turning to Jay who was still standing outside of the car, he said, "Todd is going to clean up back there, so we'll be leaving now."

Jay nodded and he and the other man moved to the front of the car; Jay in the driver's seat started the engine. "Where to, sir?" he asked as he began to pull out of the parking spot.

The man next to Aeris grinned at her, "How do you like pancakes dear?"

She smiled slightly, "I like them a lot."

He snapped one of his fingers and nodded at Jay, ordering him to head home at once and call Magda to have her make the "most fabulous pancakes in the world." After they began to drive off he turned back to Aeris.

"I'm sorry dear, this has been terribly rude of me. I haven't even told you my name!" He shook his head in playful disgust with himself, "I'm Luke, and quite pleased to meet you!"

"I'm Aeris," she began, "thank you so much, but can I ask where we're going?"

Flashing his pearly whites again he responded, "To my humble abode atop this awful pillar. We'll get some food in you there, how does that sound?"

"Really good..."

"Good, now Aeris, tell me about yourself, why are you out here alone?"

At this her expression darkened. What could she tell him?

"I don't really have anywhere else to be."

He frowned, "No parents? No one taking care of you?"

She cleared her throat a bit, as it had suddenly grown very dry.

"No, my parents are dead," she answered quietly.

"Don't you have anyone else taking care of you? Where do you live?"

She shook her head. It was really hard for her to talk about the matter, and her eyes watered up again.

"I...I just arrived in Midgar yesterday. My mother was sick, and died on the train..."

"Oh no, I'm sorry Aeris, don't cry now."

He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her cheeks with it. She sniffled a bit and thanked him quietly.

"How about I tell you a bit about Midgar?"

He began to tell her about everything they were passing, and after a while, they were in constant conversation. He was delighted to find out that she was quite the social little creature. She had a million questions which only increased with his answers.

After about a half hour of driving through Midgar the car stopped. What Aeris saw outside of the tinted window stopped her talking in mid-sentence. They were at a grand gate before a magnificent white house. Since they were now at the top of the plate, there was a bit more sunshine peeking through, making the house's windows gleam.

"...This is your house?" she gaped. He chuckled at her amazement.

"Yes, this is it. I'm quite fond of it myself. Come now, in we go."

They stepped out and made their way to the entrance. Everything was so beautiful and looking at how well Luke fit in with the scenery, Aeris realized why he had appeared so out of the place in the slums below. This was his habitat - a modern palace. It was by no means tacky, but accomplished the job of drawing out marvel at those before it.

When they reached the top of the staircase, he grabbed a set of keys out of his pocket and opened the way for her to walk in. The interior of the house was as impressive as the outside. Its white furniture was impeccably clean, and the unique decoration that filled it gave it a sophisticated edge. Aeris' mouth watered as the scent of pancakes filled her nostrils and was more than delighted when Luke escorted her to the kitchen, where an older woman was cooking.

"I see the food's all ready. Magda, will you make sure Aeris here gets as much as she likes?"

She gave the girl a funny look and then raised an eyebrow at Luke. It was visible she was very confused as to why he was bringing her to the house, but nodded anyway, "Sure. Oh, and Byrne wants to see you."

"That's good, because I need to talk to him. Where is he?"

"Your study, I think." She grabbed a plate and set it on the small table at the side of the kitchen. Aeris went over and sat down as Luke left the room.

The food tasted even better than it smelled. Before long she had finished the whole plate and was chatting Magda up and down. However, the older woman didn't have the time nor the patience to talk to the very curious Aeris, so she told her to sit and wait for Luke to return while she left the kitchen to run errands. Aeris nodded, but discarded the instructions after five minutes of boredom. She was in a strange new environment and had every intention of exploring it. Quiet steps filled the house - she wandered all around feasting her eyes on all they could take in, but knew better than to touch anything. The house was the prettiest thing she'd seen in a long time.

While on the second floor, she heard Luke's voice a few doors away. She decided to approach him since there was no one else to talk to, but stopped short of entering once she realized he was involved in a somewhat heated discussion with some man.

"You've gone mad, simply mad, Luke!" That was the stranger.

"No, this is genius! You were the one who told me that I need to improve my image, make myself look more wholesome and all that. This is the perfect opportunity."

"Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of something rational such as donations, not your senseless plan of adopting some random child you met in the slums."

"Oh whatever, anybody can make a measly donation. That won't change a thing. I want big results, Byrne. And for that I need to make some big changes. You said I don't look vulnerable enough for the rest of the bosses to want to deal with me. A daughter can change that. You said the public businesses wouldn't want to deal with a rich playboy because of their own image. A daughter can change that too. This will work to our advantage Byrne, it'll be the best business decision I've made in years."

"I still say this is ridiculous. Even if you do adopt her, you can't care for a child, you have no idea how to, nor the interest to learn if I know you well enough."

Aeris heard Luke laughing. "If that's the worst of your concerns, you can relax. I pay people to take care of all other strenuous assets in my life. What would make this any different?"

A sigh followed from the other man, "Because she's not one of your cars that needs washing, nor one of your floozy girlfriends that needs to be attended to. This is a _child_ Luke. If anything goes wrong your image will be ruined."

"_Nothing_ will go wrong. You'll make sure of that. Besides, I've already made up my mind. She's staying. I want some public appearances booked, get the news out. This is going to be big."

Were they talking about her? Why would he want to adopt her? The Cetra's voice suddenly swarmed into her head, ordering her to run out of this place. She closed her thoughts off, ordering them out. Luke was the only person who had been nice to her. Nicer than them. Her mother would be so happy to know that someone would take care of her. She stepped inside the room. Luke and the stranger's eyebrows both went up.

"Hi Luke, I finished my pancakes."

A smile crossed his features. "That's great. I hope they were good."

Noticing the way Aeris was staring at Byrne with wonder, and how he was looking back at her with annoyance, he introduced them to each other. Aeris smiled and gave him a polite "Nice to meet you" and Byrne nodded back.

"Well then. I have things to do, if you'll excuse me, sir." Byrne walked out of the room.

Luke waved her over to a chair. She plopped down on it, guessing what was coming.

"So you really want me to stay here?" she asked.

His expression showed he was quite taken back by her forward nature but quickly recovered and gave her a little wink, "Well, you don't have anywhere else to go right? And I just happen to love kids. Thought that would make a winning combination."

"You really want me to live with you? Even if you just met me?"

"You seem like a good girl, Aeris. Is there a reason I shouldn't?"

She shook her head quickly, afraid that he'd take away his offer. But he only laughed a bit.

He pulled an apple out of his pocket and polished it a bit with his sleeve before handing it over to her, "This is from before, I thought you might want it back."

Aeris reached for the fruit and held it in her hands. It had turned everything around for her. She looked up at Luke, her emerald eyes sparkling with delight.

He smiled back at her and made a grand motion with his arms, "Well then darling, welcome to your new home."


	4. Pictures of Success

Stained Halo  
Chapter 4: Pictures of Success

Swing your legs some. Sigh some. Look at your watch some. Sip your drink although it's empty some. Rinse and repeat.

This pattern was what Aeris came to know far too well each time she had to meet Luke anywhere. In her eight years of living with him, he'd never changed; he was always late and then conjured up an entrance brilliant enough to do away with the need of an explanation. So far, his entrance was half an hour late in the making. She sighed, annoyed at herself for being on time. Sitting in a small café in upper Midgar, she had nothing better to do than glance at the people around her. All rich and careless, and completely self-absorbed and boring.

Her eyes wandered over to the counter where one of Luke's three bodyguards, was sipping a beer. Luke had gone out of town on business, and left him in charge of the house. Of course, Aeris hadn't been informed of his leaving, and knew of his return only a day after he'd arrived. It wasn't anything new to her, despite living in the same house; she could go days without seeing Luke due to his busy schedule. It also didn't help that his interests strayed every which place except towards the area of raising a daughter. She'd found out about him wanting to have lunch with her an hour before they were supposed to meet.

But such was life.

When Aeris agreed to be adopted by the man, she had no idea what she was getting herself into. As a scared seven year old who had just lost her mother, the thought of any parental love had been utter bliss, and there was no way she would have been able to refuse.

That same day she had been swept into the life of a princess. Monetarily speaking anyway. She was introduced to the house's staff, which was ordered to take care of whatever it was that she wanted or needed. First there was Magda, the head maid, who was pretty much in charge of all the domestic workers. These seemed to be constantly occupied throughout the day, and retired to their homes after work. Aeris tried to befriend them, but they were always somewhat resentful towards the girl and avoided her unless they were ordered to do something for her.

Of course, they were ordered to do plenty for her. Everything in fact. Luke paid good money for her upbringing.

Aeris played with her straw a bit, staring into the empty glass that it leaned against, reminiscing about select instances in her "wonderful childhood."

She had been nine years old when one of the cleaning ladies had brought her daughter along for the day. She had ordered the little girl not to stray from the kitchen, but upon finding out there was someone her age in the house Aeris had run to go meet her. They'd gone to the garden to play, and did so blissfully for a good hour until the cleaning lady's angry shouts interrupted them. She grabbed her daughter's hand and pulled her away from Aeris, quietly scolding her for mingling with "privileged brats raised in households with no morals."

Although Aeris had not been meant to hear those words, she did. She didn't understand why the woman had reacted like that and looked for Magda to get her to explain. Fear was etched into Magda's old features as Aeris told her the story, and she made Aeris promise that she wouldn't tell Luke what the woman had said. Aeris did so, but insisted Magda tell her why everyone hated her.

_"Hush, no one hates you. You're just imagining things." _

_"Yes they do! Everyone is so mean to me and I never did anything to anyone. All I want is to be friends!" _

_"We're all very busy, we don't have time to be your playmates." _

_"Why do you hate me Magda?" _

_Magda stared in disbelief at the question. _

_"I never did anything to you." _

_"I **don't** hate you." _

_But Aeris shook her head, wiping at her eyes. _

_"It's alright. I'm gonna go outside." _

_She turned to walk away, but the older woman grabbed her arm and turned her back around to face her with a grim expression. _

_"You're a little too young to understand this but, sometimes people get mad when they see others with something they want. Something they know they'll never have," Aeris fixed her usual searching look on her, trying desperately to understand the woman's sudden show of emotion. _

_Magda gave off a nervous little laugh, releasing Aeris from her grip, and attempted a smile, "But don't pay too much attention to us, living in the slums has a tendency to get people down. I, I'm sorry if I ever come across as hateful." _

It wasn't until three years later that she fully understood where the resentment stemmed from. But when the realization hit her, everything became much more clear. What it all boiled down to was Luke.

He was rich and charming - the ideal businessman. The fact that his business was the most important thing to him also added to his immense success. But Aeris had never really prodded into the subject of what exactly his business was. Little questions were asked every once in a while about the constant visitors and "business associates" and why he needed three bodyguards, but Luke was skilled at providing indirect answers that easily satisfied her as a child, and his advisor Byrne was good at telling her to mind her own business.

But she figured out the answer for herself one rainy day. At this point she had been with Luke for five years, and was twelve years old.

_She was sitting on the stone steps in front of the house's entrance, humming to herself as she did the problems her private tutor assigned to her, when an angry scream startled her. _

_At the gateway of the house stood a disheveled man, violently shaking the bars separating him from the front yard. _

_"LUKE DAMN YOU COME OUT!" _

_Aeris' first instinct was to turn and run into the house. But she stopped when she realized she recognized the man. He had been one of the many who frequently visited the house, and one of the few who was actually nice to her while he was over. As far as she could remember, he was one of Luke's friends. Why was he so angry now? _

_He noticed her as well and stopped his yelling, trying to compose himself as much as possible. _

_"Ae, Aeris? Is that you dear? Won't you let me in?" _

_Of course she would ... under any other circumstances. She'd have rushed to the gate as soon as she saw him, but now he looked so, so, crazy. _

_Nevertheless she took a few hesitant steps towards him, "What's wrong?" _

_Despite curling his lips into a smile, something in the way he looked at her was extremely unsettling. It was a desperation that she had seen in the eyes of only one other person; a person struggling to hold on to the last remnant of her life, clinging desperately to it with the full knowledge that it would nevertheless escape. It was this recognition that kept her little feet steadily stepping towards him. Every one of her senses screamed that this was a dangerous situation and that she should flee into the safety of the mansion behind her. But she ignored these emotions and overwrote them with her helpful nature. _

_Before she knew it she was standing directly before the disheveled man. Only the gate was separating them and they were both fully aware of this. _

_"That's a good girl. Let me in, will you? I have to talk to Luke." _

_She broke eye contact and looked down at the ground, idly noticing the way a drizzle was beginning to fall from the clouds above. _

_Her foot dug into the moistened earth, "Uhm, why didn't you just call him and tell him to let you in?" _

_His knuckles whitened as he strengthened his grip around the bars of the gate, "I just couldn't reach him is all. Please, I have something really important to tell him, let me in." _

_Aeris chewed at her bottom lip and wrung her hands together. She was afraid, but was trying not to show it. He needed her help after all, so she should help him. But at the same time... Her vision left the ground and searched his face. His lies were blatantly exposed in his features. He resembled a trapped animal waiting for release in order to pounce on his cruel captor. _

_"I'm sorry, I'm really not allowed to open the gate," she lied, "but I'll just go get Magda or Byrne or Luke and one of them will let you in." _

_She never had a chance to move. He crouched down and reached his arms through the bars, roughly grabbing her and slamming her against the gate. _

_"Your fucking father ruined my life little girl. Now you let me in or I'll break your neck!" _

_Despite his words, it wasn't really an order. Something within him had reached its edge and dove over headfirst. Although he was telling her to open the gate, his grip only tightened on her small body. All of his anger towards Luke was being taken out on her. _

_After a few moments of struggling against him, Aeris gave in to his violent shaking. Tears trickled down her cheek, but she ignored them, fixing her gaze upon his wretched expression. _

_"What did he do to you?" she whispered. _

_He stopped shaking her but did not let go. His surprise did not stun him long, and after a few seconds his anger resumed its reign. _

_"He took everything from me, Aeris," he murmured, looking about frantically as if recalling Luke's exact actions, "everything. I gave him my allegiance and loyalty and he stabbed me in the back and robbed me." _

_His eyes stopped searching and settled on her young face, which was etched with signs that she was desperately trying to understand what he meant. _

_"He never told you did he? What he does for a living? How he gets all his stinking money," he didn't wait for a response, "Luke, darling, he's the biggest black market lord this city's ever seen. And that's saying a lot. All those poor idiots in the slums who can't get their lives together because they're filled up with drugs, who do you think they get that stuff from? Who's the main driving force behind the importation of weapons, the same weapons that push the crime rates in the slums to insane highs?" _

_A bitter, far away look kept him talking, "He doesn't look it does he? That's only because he's got a whole network of people working under him who do his dirty work while he remains in his little palace up here spotlessly clean. He even got himself a perfect little daughter to add to his look," his teeth flashed at her as he pulled her face closer to his, "that's all you are to him you know? Nothing more than an image enhancing tool - a business strategy. He doesn't give a shit about you, nor about anyone else. Me, his 'closest, most trusted associate and friend' he stabbed in the back. It's only a matter of time before he does the same to you, little girl." _

_Aeris kept her gaze firm and steady. She wanted to scream at him, deny everything he was accusing Luke of. But it made too much sense. The Planet itself had tried to warn her with its whispers, but it had been quickly shot down by her refusal to listen it. _

_"I'm sorry," she murmured, "I'm sorry this happened. But Luke's not a monster. I can talk to him and maybe he can give you your things back, and maybe..." _

_His anger increased tenfold, "You don't understand a thing. He's..." _

_The statement was never finished and for the second time in her life Aeris saw someone die before her very eyes. The sound of the shot behind her was one that would invade her dreams many nights from that point on. She felt the bullet race past her, not so much as grazing her cheek before it tore through his skin, skull, and brain in front of her. His grip on her was released as he fell against the gate, his frozen face inches away from her own, and the blood squirting out of the bullet wound on his head was sprinkling on her skin. _

_She screamed and fell to her knees oblivious to everything but the blood and the emotionless look on his face. A sickeningly white color protruded from his open lids. She wished badly she could close her eyes and shut out the image in front of her, but when she tried, it only burned further into her thoughts. _

_A hand was placed on her shoulder, and she knew it was Luke's. He helped her up and pulled her away from the corpse, towards the house. Her stupefied state numbed her too intensely to do anything other than follow him, keeping her vision on the body the whole time. _

_Her dulled demeanor was broken when she heard Luke tell someone to 'get rid of it.' She ripped her hand from his and lurched a few steps away from him, before falling on all fours and vomiting; the crazed emotions within her forcing their way out. Tears were now freely flowing and she would have passed out in the now strong rain had Magda, who had run out at the sound of the shot and the remembrance that Aeris was still out there, not gathered her up and carried her inside. _

_Once inside, Magda cleaned her up; trying best she could to not show worry in her expression. Then she was shuffled into Luke's lounge, where she sat on a couch, leaning against its armrest. Luke entered only moments after she did and shut the door behind him. She did not waste a second before shooting an accusing glare his way. _

_His usually playful blue eyes were now stern, "What did he say to you?" _

_She averted her eyes from his and kept her gaze straight ahead of her, staring at something seemingly far away, "Everything." _

_He nodded to himself with his jaw set, "Right then. I'm going to explain a few things to you and after that I don't want to hear about this again. If you don't like what you hear, you know where the door is." _

_Aeris' eyebrows furrowed together at his harsh tone. _

_"My business is one that exists because people in Midgar ask for it. If I don't give these fools what they want, then someone else will. And then I wind up at the bottom. That wouldn't be too smart, now would it?" _

_She didn't give him a response. _

_"No it wouldn't. So I do what I have to do, which in turn works out for everyone," he leaned on his desk, "It works out for me because I get what I want. It works out for my customers because they get what they want. And you too Aeris." _

_Her mouth fell open to retort angrily but he cut her off, "Now don't pretend you don't enjoy all the things you have in this house. Hell, even that jerk out there got what he wanted. He was the greediest of the whole bunch I deal with. Wouldn't waste a second putting out anyone in his way. I just gave him some of his own treatment." _

_"How can you act like this? Like his death didn't matter at all? Luke, he was a **human being** with a life that **you** took away!" _

_And then the bastard laughed. Laughed! Aeris couldn't believe her ears and angrily demanded to know what was so funny. _

_"Aeris, hon, although I'm sure your infinite eleven year old wisdom provides you with plenty to say about life and death, I bid you not to preach about it to me." _

_"Twelve." _

_"What?" _

_Aeris sighed, "I'm twelve years old," she looked up at him, "and I know a lot more about it than I wish I did." _

_He tilted his head at her, "Aeris this man was a murderer. Don't throw away what you have in order to defend him." _

_She said nothing more. He gave her the night to think about whether or not she wanted to leave. Of course she'd chosen to stay. She hated to admit how dependant she was on the man, but she had nowhere else to go. He wouldn't want her leaving because it'd taint the image he was trying to put forth onto the more public, and seemingly legal businesses out there. And she wouldn't want to leave because she would probably just wind up in worse conditions. So in a way, Luke hadn't given her a choice at all. It was just one of his ingenious ways of getting what he wanted - in this case her silence. And she had given it to him. Because despite how she felt, she knew that she had needs, and she was selfish, and she didn't want to give everything up for a murderer after all. _

The years had carried on and she knew the whole time of how blood-soaked the riches she was living in were. She understood why the house's staff was resentful of Luke. She was resentful of him for the same reasons. They all hated what he did, but wouldn't do anything to stop it. Their relationship was very distant after that day. At public events she'd call him "dad" but at all other times she was much like part of the house's staff: there only to serve the role he assigned her. Despite it all though, she didn't hate the man. She couldn't bring herself to hate anyone. So she treated him with respect, and spent what little time she had to with him pleasantly.

So Aeris had not exactly had the most enriching of childhoods.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard someone call her name. She stopped reminiscing and turned around only to be faced with a thick bouquet of brilliant flowers. A smile immediately crossed her features and she stood up to grab them.

"These are _beautiful_! Where did you find them?" She smiled at Luke who was standing before her with a self-satisfied look.

"I was in Mideel for a few days, where these grow all over the place. Thought they'd make the perfect graduation present."

Aeris was shocked he remembered, "Thank you so much. I adore them."

They both sat at the table and began to talk after he ordered a latte from the waiter, "Yes, you and your flowers. I managed to get some seeds too, for you to grow if you want."

He handed her a small pack, which she took happily. _Dazzling entrance, indeed._ That was Luke's way; he either completely ignored you or made you feel like you were the most important person in the world. The gifts he showered her with were anything but mindless, and this time he'd really hit the jackpot. She bit her lip slightly, recalling how he discovered her love for plant life.

_Aeris was fourteen when Luke made one of his "brilliant" business decisions. The past year had been an exceptionally good one for drug dealers everywhere with demand shooting sky high. He had made a few extra millions on top of his usual sum. However, he was beginning to grow annoyed by having to transport his crop from the outskirts of Midgar into the city, so he decided to up production on the grounds of his very house. _

_The backyard was extended by a good acre or so and he placed two large "green houses" on the land. Aeris hated the idea, but what could she really do about it? Soon enough production was under way and he had his little field of what she considered pre-packaged death. _

_One day, barely a few weeks into the finishing of the green houses, Magda was taking drinks over to the scientists and workers laboring in them. She was struggling with trying to balance five cups, so Aeris decided to help her. As they stepped in the warm, humid environment Aeris' eyes widened at the endless green surrounding them. _

_It was like a small jungle, and after she set the drinks down she went about her way exploring. No matter what the vegetation was used for, she couldn't help but be curiously drawn to it; she loved plants after all, and they were such a rarity in Midgar. She fingered the leaves here and there, having quite the time in the garden of poison she was finding herself in. _

_She was inspecting some plants closely, squinting at them, when one of the scientists walked up to her, most likely to order her out. _

_"You ought to lower the air pressure some," she mumbled before he said anything. _

_He placed his hands on his hips and glared at her, "What?" _

_"They're drowning in too much air, they'll start to wither if you don't," she responded, getting up from her crouching position to face the scientist. He did not look amused, and called one of the workers and told him to 'get her out'. She smiled at the worker and told him she knew her own way out. _

_"Suit yourself," she waved at the scientist before she left. _

_It only took a week for Byrne to come storming into her room, demanding she go speak to Luke. Upon walking into his study she found him and the same scientist from before with very unsatisfied looks on their faces. Luke waved her over hurriedly. _

_"Yes?" _

_Before Luke said anything, the scientist burst out angrily, "How could you **possibly** tell the air pressure wasn't right? Did you do something to the plants to make them die?" _

_Aeris looked back at him innocently, "Don't accuse me. I tried to warn you." _

_Luke responded slowly, "Yes, yes, I'm sorry this mongrel ignored you," he shot the angry scientist an unhappy look to emphasize, "but the point is I now need you to go in there and see if you can think of anything that can be done. Those plants are anything but cheap." _

_Aeris shook her head, "No. First off I can't just go in there and 'fix them'. Secondly, I don't want to help you grow things you're going to turn into drugs." _

_"Yes, I was afraid of that," with a wave of his hand he ordered the other people out of the room. Once they were alone he took on what Aeris recognized as his bargaining pose. He ordered her to have a seat at his desk and he sat across from her. _

_"Now then," he said, putting his hands together, "when I took you in, it was a huge, huge favor wasn't it?" _

_Aeris couldn't believe what she was hearing. _

_"And I asked for **nothing** in return. Nothing at all! That was pretty generous of me, wasn't it?" _

_Bastard. _

_"And now I ask for this one little favor and you..." _

_"Luke, no! I can't do that." _

_He sat back, aggravated. They both knew he was on a tight schedule. _

_"Aeris, I'm not giving you much of a choice here. Either you help me, or you're out." _

_How she loathed him at that moment. _

_"I'll give you a day to decide. Tomorrow you either give me a yes, or you have your bags packed." _

_They glared at each other for a few moments, before she stood up to leave the room without saying anything. _

_She spent the rest of the day thinking about the decision she had to make. Either partake in one of the worst possible things in the world, and hurt hundreds because of it, or refuse and wind up homeless. How could he be so cold as to kick her out so willingly? Didn't he care about her at all after so many years of living together? She should honestly just leave. Find her own place in the world, without him or any of his filthy money. _

_Unless...she could bargain with him. An idea began to form in her mind, and Aeris' hopes began to look up. _

_The next day, she entered Luke's office and found him already waiting for her behind his desk. She took a seat in front of him, holding her head up high. _

_"So?" he asked. _

_"So I'll do it," she answered, "under some conditions." _

_He raised a brow at her. _

_"I want you to pay me." _

_"I already pay for everything in your life," he retorted, "why should I also pay for this?" _

_She took a deep breath, willing herself not to lose courage now, "Because you really need me for this. And because everything else that you pay for is also to your advantage. I know I'm just here for your image, don't pretend I'm not. So I want 2000 gil each month for keeping those plants alive." _

_He didn't say anything for a while, and they just regarded each other silently. _

_"Fine." _

_Aeris had to keep herself from breathing a sigh of relief before she continued. _

_"One more thing." _

_"What is it?" He was beginning to look impatient. _

_"I want a portion of the green house to be mine." _

_He narrowed his eyes at her. _

_"It doesn't have to be much. Just a few square feet to plant flowers of my own." _

_For a while, she was sure he'd say no; that she'd pushed him too far and she'd now be kicked out. But to her surprise, a small smile began to form on Luke's lips. _

_"You got it." _

_So within a month, she found herself in one of the slum's non-profit rehabilitation centers with a bouquet of flowers and a 1000 gil donation. She'd come back every month after that. _

She leaned back in her chair smelling the flowers once more.

"So how was your trip?"

He rolled his eyes, "Oh you know. Mostly tedious and boring. These small towns are like a plague. But some good did come out of it," he looked at her with a wicked grin, "I met President Shinra, and it turns out we have **very** similar business interests."

Her knuckles turned white from grabbing the side of her chair too hard.

"He's the most powerful man in the world. And I'm the most powerful man in what you could call the _underworld_," he explained, looking happy with his wording, "That's just the perfect set up for a beautiful friendship, don't you think? Aeris?"

She had turned deathly pale. The last name she ever wanted to bring back in her life was that of Shinra. But noticing the way Luke was peering at her, she straightened up.

"Uhm, yeah, definitely. Sorry, I have a minor headache."

She reminded herself that a decade had nearly passed since the time in the laboratory. They probably did not even have her on file anymore. In fact, Hojo was probably retired and fat by now. Retired anyway.

"Well, we can go home. I just wanted to congratulate you on graduating and ..." his words turned into a low whistle as his eyes locked on to something past her. Aeris looked confused, and searched behind her shoulder for what he as staring at. Upon finding a woman with long, golden curls at the bar, she let out an exasperated breath.

Aeris turned back to Luke, ready to warn him that he was already involved with too many women, but he was too fast. Having plucked a flower out of her bouquet he was already making his way over to the woman.

Ah yes, Luke's womanizing ways were infamous in upper Midgar. And unfortunately for Aeris, all the women brought over to the house despised her at first glance. She wanted to tell them that they didn't need to worry about having his precious attention stolen by a daughter, but didn't bother. They wouldn't last long anyway.

She leaned her cheek on her right fist and watched Luke with a bored expression. Having gone from most important person in the world to ignored, she was not too happy. When the woman at the bar turned around though, Aeris somewhat forgave him. She was physically breathtaking. Not like his usual floozies, but much like a queen. Her eyes were a deep brown, which contrasted marvelously with her golden hair. She had perfect facial features, not soft in the least, but strong, and unique. Unlike other women with bodies as sculpted as hers, she dressed conservatively, in a smart suit. And despite looking quite young, she didn't carry the starry eyed amazement that other girls did when Luke approached. No, she stayed serious, and cool.

_You're too good for him._ Aeris turned away from them and back to her flowers. _Ah well, just another day out with Luke._

If she had any idea how much significance the meeting with that woman would bear for her the next year, Aeris would not have felt bored as she finished Luke's untouched latte.


	5. Precious Things

Stained Halo  
Chapter 5: Precious Things 

"These precious things  
Let them bleed  
Let them wash away  
Let them break their hold over me" 

- Tori Amos 

Aeris liked to think that she could pinpoint the exact moment she figured out that Gloria would come to signify much more to her than a mere part of Luke's collection of pretty girls. It was maybe two weeks after Luke had met her at the coffee shop that she was at the house waiting to leave to dinner with him. Luke's attention had been stolen away by an urgent phone call, so Gloria took this time to step into the backyard and light a long, thin cigarette for herself. 

Aeris was sitting at the patio table overlooking the grandiose garden when she heard the door open and saw Gloria step through. She had been concentrating on glossing polish on her nails, but became very still upon finding she was no longer alone. It was her first time alone with Gloria, and her usually social nature died down a bit due to the way the woman intimidated her. And who could blame her? Here was this golden haired beauty overrunning with flair and grace. And then there was Aeris, a girl who hadn't grown up with a mother to teach her how to dress, do her make up, style her hair, or do any of the other things associated with being a refined young lady. 

The sun was just dipping down and mixed with Midgar's thick pollution to create a very red sunset, which in turn gave Gloria's locks the look of a cascade of shimmering gold. Aeris suddenly felt very aware of her own physical appearance. Her wavy hair was unruly and frizzy. Gloria's womanly curves made Aeris' underdeveloped fifteen-year-old body look like a clumsy set of skin and bones. And as she looked down at the pink paint spilling over her cuticles, her messy nails seemed to represent everything she was lacking. She hid them under the table when Gloria looked over, finally seeming to notice her there. 

"Well hello there darling," she walked over to Aeris with a smile on her face. 

"Hi," Aeris responded shyly, looking down at her lap. Gloria took a seat in the chair next to her, crossing her long legs and leaning back as she took a final drag of her cigarette before putting it out. 

"I didn't know there was someone else out here whose lungs I was polluting," she apologized before reaching out for something next to Aeris, startling her a bit. She tensed even more when she realized Gloria had spotted the culprit vial of nail polish. Inspecting it, she read the label out loud; "Pipe Dream". After staring at the light pink shade for a few seconds, she gave Aeris a thorough scrutiny. The younger girl looked awkwardly away, feeling understandably uncomfortable. But this only served to pique Gloria's curiosity some more. 

"Do you have this on right now?" 

Aeris wrung her hands together beneath the table. "Uhm, yeah, but I didn't do too great of a job applying it." 

"That's alright, let me see." 

Slowly, Aeris lifted her hands from beneath the table, hesitantly displaying her work to Gloria. She felt like a little girl suddenly, horribly afraid of judgment. Gloria reached forward and held Aeris' right hand. 

"I'll fix that right up," she said with a wink. 

Much like a magic conjuror, she pulled a small flask of nail polish remover and a tissue from her purse. Aeris' eyes widened, "You carry that around with you?" 

"Oh darling of course. There's nothing worse than chipped nail polish." 

They sat that way for a while. Aeris patiently extending her two hands forward as Gloria scrubbed off the paint that had slid too far off, and then finished her job up with a fresh layer of paint on each nail. She blew cool breath over her pieces of art and then sat back satisfied. 

"Cute," she stated. But after a few moments she scrunched up her nose as if suddenly displeased, "But we can do better than cute. I've never been too keen on pink myself." 

Aeris shrugged, "I don't know, I kind of like it." Luke himself had inquired that she not wear it so much, because it looked "tacky". But to her it felt bold, like a statement. 

"Well that's fine, honey. You can mix it with other colors to make it look a bit more stylish. Like light green to go with your eyes, or ooh," her chocolate eyes lit up as she snapped her fingers, "I have just the thing to go with that polish! I saw it at a store the other day, and I think it would actually look fabulous on you. What are you doing tomorrow? I **have** to take you to get it!" 

For a second Aeris wasn't sure if she was being serious or not, and therefore had no idea how to react. One of Luke's girlfriends was not only speaking to her but actually _inviting her out_. She couldn't help but feel a bit suspicious of Gloria's intentions. However, despite this wariness she also felt a small thrill pass through her. Being home schooled didn't earn her many, or any friends really, and when she wasn't passing through the gardens or working on Luke's plants, she wasn't doing much at all. And who was she to judge Gloria so quickly? 

"You don't have to do that..." 

But Gloria wouldn't hear it. She waved her quiet and told her she'd pick her up at one before bidding her goodbye and disappearing into the house to leave with Luke. 

That night Aeris spent much longer looking at herself in the mirror than she usually did. She supposed her features were all right, but definitely nothing special. Her hair was constantly unruly, she couldn't apply make up to save her life, her outfits were all very childish, and the curves that should've come with adolescence seemed to be late in arriving. The only thing about herself she really liked was the brilliant emerald hue of her eyes. They were her mother's eyes. 

"Oh mom," she breathed out, "I still miss you." She reached inside one of her drawers and pulled out a small, white piece of materia. The only thing left of her besides memories and dreams. She put it away quickly lest her mind wander to the thousands of "what ifs" that she had a tendency to dwell upon when looking at the orb. 

Later that night while laying in her luxurious, queen sized bed she wondered whether Ifalna was happy with the way things had turned out. She was mostly taken care of - much better, in fact, than most people in Midgar. Chances were that the woman at the train station that Ifalna had expected couldn't provide her with even a quarter of the nice things she was given by Luke. But there was a feeling of loneliness that always seemed to be gnawing at her insides that no amount of material possessions enabled her to shake off. Finally, Gloria's lovely face smiled at her before she fell into slumber, and with it came a fragile sense of hope.

* * *

Aeris was astounded to find that Gloria did indeed show up to go shopping. The girl hadn't really believed that she'd go through with her plan, and was now pleasantly surprised. 

They spent hours driving around upper Midgar, stopping in different shops, and trying on quite a few outfits. The woman had an impeccable sense of style and was doing her best to rub it off on Aeris. As evening grew imminent, Gloria took Aeris to their final stop. It was a small, very expensive boutique with a sign that revealed its name to be "Colori dell Anima". 

"This is where I saw the outfit I was telling you about," Gloria informed her as they stepped out of her car and towards the shop. 

One of the sales ladies recognized Gloria as they stepped inside, and was immediately at their side asking how she could help them. Gloria motioned for Aeris to wait by the dressing rooms as she walked off with the sales lady. 

Aeris felt a bit anxious when she saw them return. She had no idea what outfit Gloria could be making such a fuss about. When they held it out in front of her, she wasn't really blown away. It was rather simple. 

"Oh, it's nice," Aeris smiled, but was pushed into the dressing room immediately afterwards. 

"No hon, put it on," Gloria ordered. 

So Aeris pulled off her clothes and dressed herself. She stepped outside her dressing room a few moments later and Gloria pointed to a nearby mirror, which she then inspected herself in. 

Her eyes widened after gazing at herself. It was indeed a simple dress - form fitting, reached just a bit below her knees and was held up by two small straps. The collar was a bit lower than she was used to and was slightly ruffled. But the color was what really got her. The back, which also dipped uncomfortable low, was held together by silky pink lace. The rest of the dress was a midnight black, with a splotch of pink tint at her right hip. It was a stunning contrast that worked wonderfully with her pale skin and bright eyes. Looking in that mirror, for the first time in her life, Aeris felt _really_ pretty. 

"Wow..." 

Gloria laughed, "Indeed. We'll take it!" 

Despite Aeris' protests that it was too expensive, they did. But once it was in her possession, Aeris couldn't hide her glee. The combination of the colors really struck her, and it was an all around gorgeous dress. She chattered away happily during the car ride home, and Gloria was pleased that the girl was in such a blissful state. 

What little was usually visible of the sun was completely gone by the time they pulled into Luke's driveway. Aeris placed her hand on Gloria's arm as she turned off the ignition, stopping her from stepping out too soon. 

"Thank you so much, you have no idea how much it means to me that you'd go out of your way to do this." 

Gloria's husky laugh filled the car as she waved Aeris' gratitude off. 

"You don't have to thank me for anything. I had a lot of fun." 

But Aeris felt she truly did have a lot to thank her for. The long time members of the house's staff were eventually won over by Aeris' kind nature, but they still refrained from spending time with her outside of work due to their schedules and general mistrust of Luke. But here was Gloria, who after a single conversation with Aeris committed herself to spend a full day with the girl. She couldn't help but feel touched by this.

* * *

The next few months passed wonderfully for Aeris. Miraculously, Luke seemed to have put the bachelor in himself to rest for a bit, and remained with Gloria. And through the months, Gloria's bond with Aeris grew significantly. She looked up to the woman immensely, and sensing this, Gloria took it upon herself to turn Aeris into a refined young lady. 

But no matter how superb present conditions were, Aeris always had a foreboding feeling that the future held darker times. It took five months for these events to unravel, and Aeris came face to face with their beginning one early morning. 

She woke to a still house - nothing unusual, since it was too early for the staff to arrive, and Luke, his bodyguards, and Byrne often departed before sunrise on business. After stretching out her sleep worn limbs, she began to make her way towards the kitchen to find something to eat. Her room was in the middle of the second floor hall, so she turned to make a left towards the stairs but stopped in mid step after hearing a strange noise from her right. As hard as she concentrated she couldn't make out what it was, but felt a strange pull towards it. Deciding to investigate, she slowly strode down to the end of the hall. After a few steps, she was sure it was coming from Luke's room, whose door was slightly open, allowing a shaft of light to spill onto the hall floor. 

_That's strange, he's usually gone by now... _

But she soon realized that the noise was actually a voice, and that the source of this voice was female. Laughing? Aeris stopped in front of the doorway, about to knock for politeness' sake, when she realized that the source of the sound was crying. 

Worried, she pushed the door completely open and stepped inside. She was met with the sight of a woman kneeling in the center of Luke's room; matted, golden hair covering her face as her slender shoulders trembled along to every sob. 

"Gloria?" 

She jumped at her name, pulling back a bit as her hand moved from her face exposing her bloodshot eyes. The sight of her was awful. Aeris immediately moved towards her, kneeling down and reaching forward to comfort her. 

"What happened to you?" 

But Gloria dodged her touch, sitting back and hastily wiping at the tears rolling down her cheeks. She took a few shaky breaths before reaching for the object she had been kneeling over, and shoved it towards Aeris as if it had struck her. Aeris was filled with confusion as she tried to make sense of the meaning of the silk nightgown pooled in front of her. 

"That," Gloria spat, "is not mine." 

Before Aeris could retort, she continued, "And I wouldn't even have made anything out of it if I didn't find this on his pillow last night." She held a single long, red strand of hair. 

Aeris looked down again at the gown in front of her. They both knew that Luke's sheets were washed almost on a daily basis, and none of the maids had red hair. Realization dawning upon her, she felt both guilt and shame for what Luke had done - as if she could've done something to prevent it. 

"God Gloria, I'm sorry." 

Gloria stared ahead bitterly, a sour smile plastered on her face. She stood up, brushing herself off. 

"No Aeris, I'm sorry. For ever believing a word of what he said. I've never been so damn humiliated in my life." 

Aeris looked up at her from her sitting position, immensely worried at the state of the woman. She had looked completely broken down before Aeris had made her presence known. But in typical Gloria fashion, she was on her feet, drawing her dignity back together as soon as she knew she wasn't alone. 

"What are you going to do?" 

"Leave. I can't be in this house another second." 

Aeris accompanied her to the front door in silence, at a total loss for words. What could she possibly say to Gloria? If it were anyone else, she wouldn't have a problem comforting them. But Gloria? She wasn't supposed to need comforting. She was one of those untouchable goddess types that nothing wrong could ever happen to. But here she was, with a lost look in her eyes and a broken heart. It just felt so wrong. 

As Gloria made her way out the door, Aeris suddenly grabbed hold of her arm. The woman looked back questioningly. 

"If you ever need anyone..." 

A sad smile made its way across Gloria's features. She placed her own hand over Aeris'. 

"I don't know how he hasn't fucked you up yet, darling." With a pat, she let go and walked away. 

Aeris was left standing at the door, pensive about what was yet to come. 

Her wonderings soon found answers. Very soon, in fact, the next night at dinner. 

While Byrne had returned to the house at the usual time, Luke didn't show up at all, and was gone the next day as well. So Aeris and Byrne had dinner by themselves, and were sitting at the table as Magda cleared away the plates when Luke walked into the room with a grin on his face. 

"I'm getting married." 

Aeris had two shocks at that moment. The first was Luke's statement. The second was the sound of a large amount of dishes crashing onto the floor behind her. She, Byrne, and Magda all looked at Luke as if he'd grown three heads. 

Byrne quickly recovered, ignoring the clamor behind him, "You're what?" 

"Engaged. I asked Gloria to marry me last night." Luke replied bluntly, as if he were explaining a very simple matter. 

"My god, I was hoping I misheard you." Byrne rubbed at his temples trying to clear the whole situation away. 

Aeris, in a daze, had bent down to help Magda with the now shattered dishes, and therefore could only imagine the smug look Luke was presenting to the room. He knew exactly why they were so shocked, and was probably enjoying every moment. 

Magda stood from her kneeling position, with the ruined china gathered up and nodded at Luke. "Gloria is a fine lady. Good for you." After he thanked her, she escaped into the kitchen to recover. 

Aeris slowly rose and silently seated herself in front of Luke again, feeling far too confused to speak. 

Luke let out a chuckle, "Well you're a certainly an exciting bunch." He gave a little punch in the air for added effect. 

"Anyway, just thought I'd let you know. Gloria's coming over in a bit, do attempt to look a bit more cheerful." 

With that he wandered off again. 

Byrne didn't stick around for long, leaving Aeris alone with her thoughts. She suspected she was easily the most stunned out of the three Luke had made his proclamation to, since only she knew what went on the previous night. She hadn't asked him anything about the matter due to Byrne and Magda's presence. But now she couldn't help but wonder, _Just yesterday Gloria looked as if she'd kill Luke if she ran into him, and now she's marrying him?_

Feeling far too restless to go to sleep, and wanting to catch Gloria by herself, she decided to wait for the woman on the front steps. Sitting on that stone staircase in the darkness brought back memories of the last dark revelations that were bestowed upon her in that very same location. Only a second passed before she shut her eyes tightly, wanting to keep the images of the man's death and accusing eyes out of her mind, and felt immense relief when a pair of approaching headlights signaled Gloria's arrival. She stepped out of the car with her usual flair, seeming totally carefree, as if nothing had ever happened to cause her trouble. 

Once Gloria had made her way to the bottom of the steps, and stood looking level at Aeris, the young girl spoke up carefully, "I think you already know what I want to ask you." 

Gloria sighed, briefly glancing downwards, "He made a mistake." 

"A mistake? That's kind of a huge mistake for you to forgive in the span of one night," Aeris retorted quietly, disturbed at what was going on. 

Gloria nodded, taking a seat next to Aeris, "Alright, let me tell you the whole story. I called him and told him I didn't want to see him anymore, but just an hour later he showed up in front of my apartment. I wouldn't let him in so he stayed outside my door for two hours begging for forgiveness," she had a far away look in her eyes, as if she was replaying the scene in her mind while telling it, "Luke wouldn't do that unless he was really sorry. And when I opened the door he gave me this ring." She held up her hand, letting Aeris see the huge rock resting on her finger. 

Watching Gloria, Aeris felt a rising sensation of disgust at her. There she was with a dreamy smile on her face, as if Luke sleeping with another woman was just some silly antic of his. She'd expected this sort of behavior from women Luke had been with in the past, but thought much more highly of Gloria. 

"Are you crazy?" She asked, raising her voice, "How could you agree to marry him after what he did? Just like that?" 

Gloria's face grew stern as she moved her gaze from the ring to Aeris, "Look Aeris, he made a mistake. He's not perfect, nobody is. And don't act as if you don't overlook some weaknesses of his yourself." 

She shot a glance at the side of the house, where the path that led to the growing facilities lay, and then looked back at Aeris, daring her to retort. Hurt by the insult, Aeris turned away from Gloria's steely look, and shook her head sadly. 

Upon seeing this, Gloria's expression and voice softened a bit, "I love him Aeris. And he's sorry. That's enough for me." 

She rose, brushing herself off, and turned to walk into the house. Aeris didn't say anything anymore, knowing that no matter what, she wouldn't be able to change Gloria's mind. Once more, those stone steps had revealed too much to her - this time the truth about Gloria, a seemingly strong woman, who in reality was as weak and easily manipulated as everyone else by Luke's little ploys. And as she mused over this, the part within her that looked up to Gloria began to die.

* * *

Their friendship was never the same after that night. Aeris suspected that it was because aside from Luke, she was the only person to have seen the ugly, weak side of the otherwise beautiful Gloria. And it didn't improve much with time. Just as Aeris had guessed from the beginning, over the next few months Luke cheated on Gloria again, and she forgave him again. Her speculation was confirmed after a particularly loud screaming fit between Luke and Gloria, when Gloria asked her to keep an eye on him for her. It wasn't too hard to figure out what prompted her to ask this favor. 

Aeris didn't really bother. Gloria had to know in the back of her mind that he wasn't going to stop anytime soon, and if she didn't then she was truly delusional. Plans for the wedding weren't really going anywhere, with only Gloria flipping through magazines and speaking of decorations and important guests, while Luke busied himself with business matters. 

It was a few months after Aeris' 16th birthday that Luke hit an ultimate high in the business world - he landed an official partnership with Shinra. She'd never seen him so excited before; shedding his cool demeanor, he burst through the front door and shouted the news to the whole house. Everyone congratulated him, not being able to help having some of his happiness rub off on themselves. It didn't hurt that he gave all the staff a raise. When he saw Aeris he picked her up by her waist, spinning her around in the air, before grabbing Gloria and dancing with her around the room to a tune only he could hear. Aeris smiled, congratulating him, although feeling inwardly horrible. The last thing she wanted was Shinra in her life again. 

Luke informed them that in three nights he'd be throwing a party celebrating the collaboration at one of the newest night clubs in upper Shinra, and that half the staff would leave their usual duties to assist in making preparations for the festivities. Looking at Gloria and Aeris with a playful smile he gave them special instructions, "And you two, I want you to look perfect, just as the two most important women in my life should." 

So it was that three nights later Aeris found herself in her room getting ready to celebrate an event that she'd dreaded ever since Luke began associating with Shinra. The thought of being in a room full of the corporation's top employees instilled a fear in her that she hadn't felt in years. Gloria, who was standing behind her doing her hair, noticed the tension in her, and asked about it. 

"What's wrong darling, you don't look too excited about tonight, it's going to be a fabulous party you know." 

Aeris shifted a bit in her chair and tried to smile, but only looked more nervous, "Ah, just not feeling well I guess." 

Wanting to switch the subject, she inquired about how the wedding plans were moving along. 

This time it was Gloria's turn to look unhappy, if only for a second, before straightening up again, "Oh, you know, it takes a long time to plan the whole thing, and there's a lot left, but otherwise just fabulous." 

But Aeris had seen the silent look of desperation flash across Gloria's eyes. It was one she wore a lot these days, which couldn't help but worry Aeris. She twisted in her chair, to face Gloria directly. Gloria put down the curling iron, and moved away, pretending to inspect her own make up. 

"Do you even have a date yet?" Aeris asked, knowing the answer already. 

Something sparked within Gloria, for after a few moments of unsuccessfully attempting to answer Aeris in a neutral tone, she gave up, grabbed the nearest brush and hurled it across the room before sinking down on the bed behind her. She buried her face in her hands, trying to control her breathing. 

"What am I doing Aeris?" she whispered. 

Slowly, Aeris moved to the bed, placing an arm around Gloria and stroking her hair with her free hand. 

"You can end all this Glor, you don't have to put up with it." 

Gloria leaned a bit into Aeris' embrace, something she didn't expect her to do. 

"That's the thing. I don't think I can, I don't know what I'd do without him at this point." 

"You can let go, Gloria. That's all you have to do." 

Shaking her head, she freed herself from Aeris' embrace and stood up. 

"No darling, I've gotten myself in a bit too deep. If I left him I don't know what I'd do with myself. You're too young to understand now, but one day..." 

She turned away from Aeris and back to the mirror, to work on the last details of her own hair and make up some more. 

"One day I'll go through the same thing?" Aeris asked, wanting Gloria to finish her statement. 

She met her eyes in the mirror, "Yes, and it'll hurt like hell, but when you find that one man you're willing to die for, he can do all sorts of stupid things and you'll live with them all anyway. Because leaving him would kill you," she smiled at Aeris' frown, "That's love for you, baby." 

They finished getting ready in silence, each caught up in her own thoughts. By nine they were all done up and ready to go; with each looking spectacular in her own way - Aeris wearing her black and pink dress with pink sandals, and her hair loose, falling around her, while Gloria wore a long, strapless dress the same shade as her golden hair that pooled around her heels. A limousine was awaiting them outside the house. Luke had left half an hour earlier with his bodyguards in the black car and sent this one transport "his girls". Their silence continued through the trip, adding to the incredibly nervous feeling building in Aeris' stomach. 

"Oh mom," Aeris silently begged as they pulled up in front of the already bustling club, "Get me through this night."

* * *

**A/N:** Took me long enough, eh? Okay, so this was still part of the background I wanted to set up for the main meat of the story, which will hopefully arrive soon. The next chapter will deal with the party, so familiar names will finally show up. The point of all this rambling on about Luke and Gloria will make sense soon, I promise there IS a point to it. Thank you for reading!


	6. She Moves She

Stained Halo  
Chapter 6: She Moves She

The party was, in usual Luke-fashion, painfully classy if not topped with just a touch of ridiculous extravagance. As Aeris and Gloria entered, they were met with the sight of fire dancers performing on elevated pedestals scattered all around the club. The flames glittered madly over the crowd, illuminating those dancing in the center as well as everyone by the various bars and lounge tables. Gorgeous cocktail waitresses wearing tiny golden dresses were carrying trays covered with the finest complimentary champagne. Everything was a shimmering gold or a deep maroon, creating a lusty, dark mood. The guests were strict Midgar A-listers; it was a congregation of the city's wealthiest and most powerful people, which meant everyone at the top of Shinra and Luke's world.

Gloria pointed to a grand staircase in the back of the room leading to the upper floor, which was visible beyond the balcony overlooking the dance floor.

"That's the VIP room, Luke should be there."

They made their way through the crowd, which parted easily for the likes of Gloria. After climbing the stairs, they found themselves face to face with one of Luke's bodyguards. He let them by and pointed to an area by the balcony, where a group of men were beginning to rise from their seats and move to a private room. Luke was among them, too involved in a conversation to spot Gloria and Aeris, so that Gloria caught him by surprise when she grabbed hold of his arm before he walked into the other room.

"Hello darlin', love what you've done with the place," Gloria crooned as she moved in to kiss him. Luke, however, moved away briskly. The pleasant look he carried when he was speaking to his colleague was replaced with an agitated one.

"I told Todd not to let anyone up here," he muttered in an irritated tone after he excused himself and began to lead her and Aeris back towards the stairs. There was a visible look of hurt on Gloria's face, which quickly turned into anger. She stopped and glared at him.

"Well, I didn't know I was just 'anyone.'"

Luke looked equally aggravated.

"That right there was _President Shinra_," he hissed through gritted teeth, "And we're about to discuss our first project. I don't have time for this."

"I thought this was supposed to be a party, not a damn business meeting. I wouldn't have shown up if this…" But Gloria was interrupted before she could finish. A blonde woman wearing a scarlet dress emerged from the room.

"Luke, we're ready to get started," she said with a smile, moving closer to him than Gloria liked.

Luke smiled back, "I was just finishing up." He shot Gloria a look that very clearly told her that the conversation was over, and with his hand on the small of the blonde's back, retreated to the meeting.

Aeris was halfway afraid to look at Gloria; she couldn't help but feel embarrassed for her. The woman was staring at the shut door with an expressionless face. Aeris knew the look, it was one she wore when she was trying to compose herself. The scene was very hard to watch.

"Gloria let's just go."

But Gloria quickly shook her head. She grabbed hold of Aeris' hand and began to walk down the stairs.

"You and me are going to have a good time. That's why we came, right?"

Aeris was sure this was a bad idea, but followed anyway. She certainly didn't come with any illusions of a good time, and would have been more than happy to go home. With all the Shinra people surrounding her, she could not help but feel a tiny, familiar sense of panic in her gut. But after the fiasco that took place with Luke, she was willing to stay with Gloria if that would make her feel better. She'd never seen him treat Gloria so rudely. He hadn't even bothered to introduce either one of them to the blonde that came over. He had been in far too much of a hurry to get rid of them.

Gloria finished her champagne, and exchanged the empty glass for a full one when she passed a waitress. She gave one to Aeris as well, who tried to give it back to the waitress, but couldn't, as Gloria pulled her along too quickly. They settled on a couch in the lounge between the bar and dance floor. Gloria already had her unfazed, graceful demeanor back.

In a low tone, she told Aeris, "Two can play this game." And with that, emptied her second glass.

* * *

"Another beer."

"Sir, you're on your seventh, I think you may have had enough."

With a flash of black metal, the bartender found himself staring down the barrel of a gun.

"I don't believe I requested that you state what you think."

The bartender swallowed hard. A mixture of surprise and fear ran down his spine and kept him rooted to the spot with his mouth and eyes wide open. It was such a comical look that Reno, who was sitting on his stool at the bar, with his right arm extended, holding the gun, lost his serious expression and burst out laughing. He lowered the gun and waved with his other hand as if the bartender was crazily overreacting.

"Nah man, I'm just kidding with ya."

The bartender let out a big sigh of relief, shutting his eyes temporarily to regain his posture and dignity.

"But seriously, get me my beer," Reno ordered, "Or else…" Mockingly, he formed a gun with his right hand and pretended to shoot the bartender. Needless to say, the man didn't question Reno's sobriety a second time.

Reno turned to his partner, Rude, who hadn't bothered to glance at Reno once while the scene had unfolded. With his back to the bar, he stared into space while working on the drink in his hand.

"Thinks I've had enough, can you get a load of that?"

Rude shrugged. He was used to his partner's antics. Reno was notorious for giving people a hard time just to see them get all riled up. The truth was that there wasn't a chance in hell Reno would've done anything to that bartender. Despite his mischievous ways, he was an extremely level headed person. The only time any of the Turks got violent was either on the job, or when some poor idiot who didn't know who they were gave them trouble.

"You better tip him well after that."

Tseng, who was sitting on the other side of Rude, was giving Reno a teasingly condescending look.

"As if I could with what Shinra's paying us these days," Reno muttered, taking a sip of his beer.

Tseng and Rude raised their bottles to _that_.

"Can't even take girls on dates anymore," Reno continued, "had to skip dinner with the last girl. Picked her up and cut straight to taking her back to my place."

He scratched at his chin thoughtfully.

"On the other hand, maybe I don't want a raise after all."

Rude grinned and Tseng shook his head slightly. He, too, had somehow grown quite fond of Reno's way. While much more serious himself, he couldn't help but enjoy being around the guy. He was always good for a laugh, and certainly made the company parties bearable. Besides, no one could blame Reno for joking at the wrong times. When it came down to the job, the man was as tough and cold as steel.

The three remained at the bar, drinking in silence with the exception of Reno's occasional comments. It was like their usual night off, so they didn't mind having to attend the celebration of the merger.

"Now don't get me wrong, I love these things for the drinks," Reno said quietly, leaning over so Tseng could hear him, "The open bar is quite possibly the best concept to ever exist. But for fuck's sake, is there not one girl here that isn't attached to the arm of a fat business man?"

Reno shook his head at the sight before him. Sure, it was a congregation of Midgar's most beautiful women, but they all flocked to the rich old farts. Not a single one by herself…

And that's when he saw the knock-out blonde across the room. He gave a low whistle under his breath. She was a woman with the kind of looks that would've had him approaching her even if she were attached to President's arm. To his good fortune, she was sitting alone with a younger brunette. With one last swig of his beer, he rose from his seat.

Tseng looked at him questioningly.

"I found the one thing better than the open bar."

Aeris spotted him approaching before Gloria did. He stood out easily among the crowd due to the mere fact that he was one of the few males under forty. Not to mention that his messy hair tied back in a low ponytail, and untucked shirt were unlike anything anyone around him sported. As soon as she saw him grab two champagne glasses and walk towards them, she knew what was coming. Gloria, however, did not so much as notice.

"Hey darlin', I'm going to the lady's room real quick. Damn champagne. Don't move, okay?"

And with that she was up and off, without so much as having glanced at a now very perturbed Reno. He wound up a few feet away from them when Gloria walked away, and wore an obvious scowl. But he recovered fast, and smiled down at Aeris.

"Mind if I have a seat?"

She didn't bother to stop herself from rolling her eyes.

"Actually, it's taken."

Within a second, Aeris regretted her response. She'd just confirmed Gloria would be returning. Not having missed a beat, he sat down with the clear intention of waiting.

"You look like you could use the company," he winked.

"Is that so?" she asked in the most disinterested voice she could muster.

He shrugged and shot her another smile.

"Alright, maybe I'm the one that wanted the company," he pointed behind him, towards the bar, "My two friends back there are nice and all, but they're not so big on the dancing."

Looking at the bar, Aeris saw two somber looking men grimacing at the attention Reno was bringing upon them, and she couldn't help but laugh.

He acted shocked. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have a smile."

Pursing her lips together and narrowing her eyes, Aeris planted the most ridiculous frown on her face that Reno had ever seen..

"You're out of control, kid," he laughed.

Mocking his earlier shocked look, Aeris clasped a hand over her mouth and widened her eyes.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have something other than a pick up line."

"Hey now," he retorted, his sea green eyes sparkling mischievously, "Don't knock it. It works on all the ladies, no lie."

Aeris raised a brow, "I think that says something about the kind of women you're dealing with."

He leaned in and whispered, "Hell, it got you talking, didn't it?"

She smiled slightly, avoiding his eyes to elude admitting defeat. With her defenses down, Aeris was about to give in and introduce herself properly. But just as she opened her mouth, Gloria appeared again.

"Tsk, Aeris, I leave you for two minutes, and you're talking to boys."

Reno looked away from Aeris, and up at the blonde woman standing before him. He rose from his seat and made a gesture towards the couch.

"Didn't mean to take your seat." He looked her straight in the eyes, with a more serious expression than what he wore to speak with Aeris.

_Right_, Aeris thought.

Gloria, who Aeris suspected must have been quite tipsy at that point, bowed her head appreciatively, and sat down.

"You know there's plenty of room for the three of us," she offered.

"Oh, you're too kind," he replied, winking slightly.

_Dear god, is that a blush? _Aeris stared at Gloria, who was looking far too affected by the guy's obviously fake show of courtliness.

"The name's Reno," he said, taking Gloria's hand in his, "And I am extremely pleased to meet you."

_Definite blush_.

Watching the two begin to converse, Aeris noted that Gloria's behavior had somehow reverted to that of a giggly school girl. Sure, the woman was sort of heartbroken and well on her way to being drunk, and sure, this Reno character might be as smooth as Luke himself, but the point was, that he _wasn't_ Luke. She had never pinned Gloria as the type to flirt with other men to make her feel better about herself. And that was clearly what she was doing now; if she couldn't get the attention from Luke, she'd get it from the next guy over. It was immature and below her, and Aeris rolled her eyes at every laugh that Reno got out of Gloria.

After a good ten minutes of sitting next to the flirtatious pair, without ever having been spoken to, Gloria suddenly turned to Aeris with a sly grin on her face.

"Me and Reno are going to go dance. Will you be alright here?"

Not that it really mattered, but Aeris nodded anyway. She watched Reno lead a giddy Gloria to the dance floor and disappear into the crowd. Sitting by herself, she had nothing better to do than to watch the crowd.

_So much laughter everywhere_. But it seemed that the closer she observed the people's expressions, she found a sort of desperation to it all. People weren't laughing because they were happy—they were laughing because they _had_ to. Because they were the richest, the most beautiful, the most _powerful_ in all of Midgar. Isn't that everything anyone could ever want? Not smiling now would mean they would never, ever smile.

The emptiness of the glass pressed to her lips snapped Aeris' attention away from her drifting thoughts. Unlike most seventeen year olds, she'd never been that curious about drinking. Growing up in the household of a drugs and arms dealer, cleared her interest in anything that could lead to any kind of addiction. But momentarily the champagne tasted unusually good, and the numbing haze that was spreading throughout her body definitely didn't feel bad either.

She rose from her seat and made her way towards the bar. Not bothering to ask the black haired man next to her whether the seat was taken, she plopped down on the stool and waited for the bartender to notice her.

"What'll it be?" he asked, once he'd worked his way over to her.

"Champagne, please."

"You go to the waitresses for that, want something else instead?" Embarrassed at her lack of knowledge about bars, she shook her head hoped no one noticed.

"You can have this one."

Looking up, Aeris found herself facing the black haired man. He was holding up a full glass of champagne.

"The waitress just dropped it off a second ago. But we've already got beers."

After giving him a shy "thank you", she took the glass. She considered getting up and leaving, in case he'd taken their exchange the wrong way and would see it as an opportunity to hit on her. But after giving him a closer look, she concluded that he didn't seem the type, and was just being polite. He had a very dignified look about him. Despite the length of his hair, it looked very neat the way he combed it back. His eyes were dark and serious. He sat with perfect posture, and observed the room with a very neutral expression.

So she decided to go ahead and remain seated where she was. Her glass was halfway empty before the dark stranger spoke up again.

"I know how this sounds, but, do I know you from somewhere?"

Aeris turned to him and was met with a searching gaze. She shrugged.

"I'm Luke Cole's daughter."

"Oh, of course."

He seemed satisfied with the answer, but Aeris was feeling quite unnerved. She was fairly certain that the man worked for Shinra, and could only hope that the reason he recognized her really _was_ due to her relation to Luke. If it were for other reasons, it could mean a world of trouble for her.

She avoided eye contact for the next few minutes, trying to keep herself looking unfazed. Thankfully, it was only a matter of minutes before a blonde man in a white suit approached her neighbor to lead him away. The dark haired man gave her a small nod before leaving, and Aeris could've sworn there was something in his eyes that told her he was still trying to figure out his connection to her.

_Don't be an idiot, that all ended years ago._

Still, she felt an increasing need to leave the party right then. But with Gloria and Luke nowhere in sight, the night still threatened to be very long.


	7. Fall and Sink

Stained Halo  
Chapter 6: Fall and Sink

"You shut your mouth  
How can you say  
I go about things the wrong way  
I am human and I need to be loved  
Just like everybody else does"

- The Smiths

Aeris felt as if she were naked in the middle of a masquerade. There was no one paying any mind to her, but somehow, she knew she was more exposed than ever. There were masks all around. Cover-ups. And she felt far too bare amidst all the costumes.

She'd been sitting at the bar for nearly two hours now. No one apart from the bartender had exchanged any words with her. There were fleeting glances from men who looked somewhat interested, but that amounted to nothing once they saw she did not have a crimson smile painted on upturned lips.

It wasn't that Aeris was new to this. She'd spent her entire life going to functions with Luke, playing the part of the loving daughter as he made a spectacular show of being a good father.

It was the damn champagne.

For the first time in her life, Aeris was well on her way to being drunk. And she had lost both the skill and desire to wear her mask for those around her. As she dug deeper into her thoughts, she was quite certain that it wasn't that she had been stripped of her disguise, but that she had actually never learned how to wear it properly.

She always tried so hard to see the good in people, because she knew in her heart that it was there. No one was all bad and everyone had their reasons. That was the saying she always repeated to herself when someone hurt or disappointed her. But somehow, her alcohol-induced haze yielded new revelations.

Like how it was futile to look for the good in people when they wouldn't even let you get near them. Everyone hid so deep within themselves that they shielded who they truly were from the world around them. Her whole life had been a relentless dance in this same dull masquerade.

She had no idea how much time passed between her fifth glass of champagne and Gloria's appearance through the crowd. It could have been an hour; it could have been five minutes. All Aeris knew was that she was no more eager to feign happiness for Gloria than anyone else.

"Darling! Oh honey, I've been looking everywhere for you!"

In fact, Gloria's stupidly flushed smile went so far as to irritate Aeris. Did she really think she was that stupid?

"I've been sitting in the same place all night."

Had Gloria not been staggering around like a fool, Aeris would've thought she was purposely ignoring her anger. The truth was, she was too drunk to notice the very thick tone of annoyance in Aeris' voice.

"Oh honey, I've got a great idea," she squealed as she took Aeris' glass out of her hands and lifted it to her own lips.

"I'm pretty much ready to go now, but I was thinking you could stay the night at my apartment!" Her eyes lit up like she'd just presented Aeris with the best opportunity of her life.

"And then tomorrow we'll make a girl's day out of it. Luke's busy anyway, so he'll probably prefer us leaving early, and his mansion can be so boring."

Aeris didn't really have time to respond. Gloria was already grabbing her by the hand and leading her out of the crowd. She wouldn't have resisted anyway. As upset as she was at Gloria for abandoning her the whole night, she would much rather go than sit at the bar pouting for another hour. Besides, the way she was feeling, if she ran into Luke she was sure she'd say a lot of those unsaid things that were best left silent.

As they stepped out of the club, the night air hit them, and for once Aeris enjoyed breathing in Midgar. Despite the grime, it was a lot cooler than inside the club. But the effect of walking out in the open proved to Aeris just how drunk she really was. She wasn't quite sure whether she was walking straight, but her better judgment told her she wasn't. She followed Gloria towards Luke's car, where his driver was sitting inside sleeping.

Gloria knocked loudly on the window, waking him. They stepped in and drove away.

* * *

After Gloria gave the driver instructions of what to tell Luke, her and Aeris entered her apartment building. It was actually Aeris' first time there. Gloria had never invited her before. 

Her place was very nice. Everything looked expensive and painfully stylish.

"Well this is very you," Aeris mumbled as she looked around.

"Thank you."

Gloria shot her a gorgeous smile and motioned for her to follow her to a room on the left. It was the guest room.

"Bathroom's over there," Gloria pointed to the back of the room.

"Alright, thanks," Aeris said, sitting on the bed.

"I'm going to bed now, I'm really tired. You really should go to sleep too," Gloria advised as she pulled an extra nightshirt out of some drawers for Aeris to wear, "I'm going to wear you out with the shopping tomorrow."

With a flip of her golden hair, she walked out and Aeris heard her footsteps disappear down the hall. She lay back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling.

Physically, she was ready to slip into slumber, but her thoughts prevented her from doing so. So many emotions were swelling within her, pushing their way forth from where she'd hidden them all along.

She was lonely. She hated to admit it, but she really was. And the fact that she had no one in her life that gave a damn about her really stung. All her family was dead, she'd shut the Cetra out and Luke cared about no one but himself. She really didn't have many friends. She'd been home schooled all her life, and although she knew some of the kids of Luke's associates, they'd never gotten along too well. Her mother still spoke to her sometimes. Still whispered to her here and there. But that was so different. In fact, her mother's bittersweet tone mainly reminded her how secluded she really was.

Gloria was the closest thing she had to a real friend. But even she…

Aeris' thoughts were suddenly interrupted. She'd heard a voice – a man's voice. Definitely in the apartment. What was a man doing in the apartment?

For a second she was afraid she was drunk to the point of imagining things, but then she heard it again. Quite clearly. Followed by Gloria's laugh and a "ssssh."

Aeris slowly lifted herself off the bed and crept towards her door. Opening it as quietly as she could, she peered through a tiny crack and had to stop herself from gasping.

There, in Gloria's living room, being led to Gloria's bedroom was the red haired man from the party.

They were speaking softly, but Aeris could have sworn she heard the words "had a good distraction" come out of Gloria's mouth before the pair disappeared behind her door. She felt numb with betrayal. It was the absolute perfect icing on the goddamn cake that was her life.

_Everyone…_

She stormed towards the bed, hot tears burning her eyes.

…_does nothing…_

Feeling trapped with her rage, she made the sudden decision to head for the door. Through the hall.

_…but use me._

And out the front door.

She descended the stairs in a hurry. Not that there was a chance of her being heard with Gloria so occupied, but her fury kept her at a speedy pace.

It wasn't even like what Gloria was doing was so shocking. She'd seen worse, _lived_ with worse. But the fact that the one person she thought actually respected her would betray her trust, made every negative emotion that the alcohol had brought out in her intensify. Gloria had outright lied to her. She'd told her she wanted her over so they could spend time together. But all it was was a way to keep Luke out of her hair as she had her little revenge on him.

Anger really was blinding, and as a result Aeris had hardly noticed where she was going. She took a look around her, and saw a strip of cafés and clubs surrounded her. Gloria lived right in the heart of upper Midgar, in the midst of the trendiest area of the town. And there was no other place Aeris would have liked to be in less.

_Everything up here is a lie..._

Darkly, she eyed all the glitz and glamour around her, wishing there was a way for her to leave Midgar altogether. But the sway in her step and the slight numb feeling in her head told her she had better sit down somewhere lest she fall down in the street.

She walked to the closest café, and collapsed into a chair by the first free table she saw on the patio. And with her head in her hands she let herself drown in all the hopelessness and despair she usually found so easy to fight off.

* * *

He had a tendency to whistle while he walked. Especially when he was in a good mood. And right now, Zack was in a very good mood. 

It had been a great night out. 1 gil you-call-its, him and his friends, and everyone kissing the ground they walked on because they were SOLDIERs. That was what was so great about Midgar. A good time was so easy if you were in with the right people.

His night had been made even better by a late night call from a waitress he'd met some nights ago requesting to "hang out" later. Her shift was ending in a half hour's time, and he was on his way to pick her up and head to her apartment. Really cute girl. He didn't know much about her, but that didn't matter in Midgar. People were very straightforward about what they wanted, and left out all the introductions.

He stepped into the café, and spotted her across the room making a drink for someone at the bar. After catching her attention, he pointed behind him at the patio outside, to let her know where he'd be waiting for her. She smiled, biting her lip, and nodded before getting back to her customer.

Stepping outside, he looked around and found an empty seat. Feeling that his night was far from over, he decided to relax a bit before she got done. After a few moments, he felt someone grab his shoulder roughly. Grinning, he turned, expecting it to be his waitress friend.

"Off early, eh?"

But it wasn't her. Instead, it was a small girl with long brown hair scowling down at him.

"You're in my seat."

"Oh, sorry, I didn't realize."

He stood up, offering her the chair. Without a word, she sat down, but to his shock, missed the chair entirely and collapsed onto the floor in front of his feet.

Immediately, he crouched down to her and asked if she was all right. She stared back at him with a confused expression, as if she had no idea why she was lying on the ground rather than sitting in the chair. Zack shook his head, trying to hold in his laughter. He wrapped her arm around his neck and lifted her onto the chair while she blinked drunkenly at him. It was past midnight on a weekend night. He was used to seeing girls fresh out of clubs stumbling all over the place.

"You Midgar girls are crazy."

Her confusion seemed to fade, and she looked at him as if she were angry.

"Don't call me that."

It was Zack's turn to be confused. "Call you what?"

She gave him the type of look reserved for only the dumbest of questions.

"A _Midgar girl. _I am _not_ I a Midgar girl," she slurred.

Zack's better judgment told him it was time to go back inside and wait there, away from the angry drunk girl. But his logic always lost against a much stronger part of him – the part that always played hero. The fact that the girl was so drunk was good reason not to leave her outside alone. So he pulled up a chair, and sat down across from her.

"Okay, I'm sorry. Then where are you from?"

She looked down at her hands.

"Somewhere you can see the sun," she answered softly.

He let out a chuckle again, "That's basically anyplace but Midgar."

The emerald of her eyes almost sparkled.

"Exactly," she answered with a sad smile.

He decided not to push the matter.

"Look, are any of your friends here with you?"

She shook her head.

"Just you, eh?"

"Just me."

Zack ruffled the black spikes atop his head a bit, trying to think of what to do. The girl definitely wasn't his responsibility. And there was probably a good reason her friends had ditched her. But as she rested the side of her face on her arm, and her honey hair spilled over her eyes, he thought that despite her intoxicated state, she was the most innocent looking thing he'd ever seen in the city. His conscience would kill him if he just left her there.

"Alright, well, how about I call you a cab?"

She seemed to find what he said quite funny.

"I don't need a cab."

"Well, what do you need?"

She simply stared for a while, as if the question was one worthy of launching her deep into thought. Then, remembering he was there, she looked up at him with a slightly confused look.

"Who are you?"

He smiled at her, "I'm Zack, and you're?"

"Dead tired," she yawned.

And with that, she put her head in her arms again, and closed her eyes.

"Well you can't sleep here, let me call you a cab to take you home."

She didn't respond, so he reached across the table and shook her slightly.

"Huh?"

"Look," he said, his tone slightly more stern, "You can't stay here. You need to go home."

She closed her eyes again.

"I can't do that."

He sat back to think the matter over. The girl certainly didn't look homeless. In fact, he was sure she wasn't. She was probably just not supposed to be out, and he didn't want to spend the rest of the night babysitting a rich girl that couldn't handle herself outside of daddy's mansion. He decided to give her another five minutes and then just have the manager deal with her.

"Zack."

"Yes?" He answered, leaning his head on his fist tiredly.

"Thanks for caring enough to ask."

He looked down at her and saw she still had her eyes closed. He felt she'd just mumbled the sort of small truth people only reveal whilst half asleep. It didn't really make much sense to him since he had no idea who she was, but something in the way she said it got to him. Something that sounded way too sad for someone her age to express.

"Hey do me a favor and don't move, okay?"

But she was already asleep. Slightly berating himself for what he was about to do, he lifted himself off the chair and walked inside the café and up to the bar to try to explain to his date why she should wait for him while he left to drop a strange girl off at a hotel.

It didn't add the perfect touch to their night, but she agreed and he headed back out.

She was still where he'd left her: unconscious on the table. He tried to shake her awake, but she just kept slapping his hand and mumbling something that sounded like "go away".

"Fine, I guess I'll do this the hard way."

He lifted her up, and laid her on his back, so that her arms were dangling over his shoulders, and her legs over his hips. Crouching forward, he began walking to the nearest hotel he knew of. During his SOLDIER training he had to carry things twice her weight while sprinting and dodging attacks. In comparison, this was a piece of cake. But the strange looks he got from people as he walked through the street didn't make the situation that fun. He shot them nervous smiles, hoping it'd clear any suspicions.

After about ten minutes of walking, he reached the nearest hotel. The street was lined with upscale lodging, and it wasn't a particularly busy tourist season, so he was sure there'd be a vacancy. He entered the lobby, and laid the girl on a couch in the waiting area before going to speak to the concierge.

As he approached the counter, he saw the man behind it looking at the girl with a slight frown.

"Hi, I need a room for the night."

The concierge was a thin middle-aged man, with a moustache that Zack thought looked idiotic. At that very moment, the silly moustache was curled upwards in a badly hidden sneer.

"We're all full."

Zack let out a groan.

"You got to be kidding me."

The man looked at him with waning interest, and began to shuffle through some papers.

"I'm afraid not."

However, Zack wasn't going to give up so easily.

"But you didn't even really check. There has to be at least one room open."

With a look that clearly showed that he was tiring of Zack's presence, the concierge cleared his throat.

"This is a hotel. _Not_ the Honeybee Inn."

Understanding dawned upon Zack, and his anger flared.

"It's not like that, she just needs a place to stay!"

But the man didn't seem to believe him. He merely stood behind the counter with his hands clasped in front of him.

"Listen, I'm in SOLDIER!"

Again, it was futile. The concierge held his silence, and Zack was left with the options of arguing with someone who wouldn't budge, or just going to the next hotel. And with his date surely getting impatient by now, and there being plenty of hotels on the strip, his decision was made rather fast. So with a rude hand gesture, he went back to Aeris and carried her outside again.

To his extreme irritation, the same thing happened in the next two hotels. He let out a string of curses after being turned down for the third time. Why would no one believe that he just wanted to help the girl out? Were Midgar people really that suspicious of everyone?

Apparently so, for as he walked on miserably, the few club goers left on the street were all shooting him dirty looks. He'd stopped caring at that point, and was left to ponder what to do. By the looks of it, he wouldn't be able to get a room for her. He definitely couldn't take her back to his date's place. And although he was slowly regretting ever speaking to her, he wasn't willing to just leave the girl on the street somewhere.

It was after fifteen minutes of walking on miserably that a man leaning by the entrance of a building with a bright neon sign that read "Sugar Inn" called out to him.

"Hey man, need a place to stay?"

Zack looked at the place, and was tempted to say no. But he really didn't have many other alternatives.

"You got vacancies?"

The man grinned at him, throwing down a half smoked cigarette and waving for him to follow him inside.

There was no lobby. There was simply an entrance hall, and a counter on one side, which the man from outside was now standing behind. The place reeked of cigarettes and liquor.

"You're in luck, we've got our finest suite available. Water bed and all."

The man winked at Zack and leered up at the girl he was carrying. Zack frowned and shook his head. It was people like this man that had everyone in the other hotels paranoid. But he was far too tired by now to argue.

"Look, whatever, just get me a room."

He paid the rate, and got his key, leaving the man behind with a sleazy grin on his face. The room was the furthest down the hall, but it wasn't difficult to find. He unlocked the door, walked in, and had to roll his eyes at the fact that a huge heart shaped bed was taking up most of the space.

But whether the bed looked ridiculous or not didn't matter anymore. He set the unconscious girl down, and collapsed next to her. After looking at his watch and finding the time to be 3 AM he let out a soft curse. Had an hour really passed since he left the café? It seemed longer.

He looked over at the girl who had caused him so much trouble. She was lying on her side, fast asleep, with her hand laid out in front of her face. Had there not been a slight frown on her pretty features, she would have looked quite serene.

He'd leave her a note, and then get out of there. There was still enough time to go over to his date's apartment if he hurried. Closing his eyes for one more moment of rest, he stretched a bit, and lifted himself up on one arm in order to get off the bed without disturbing the girl too much.

Just as he was ready to get up, she rolled over and threw an arm around his chest, preventing him from moving. Softly, he tried to pry her off, but it only caused her to tighten her grip around him. After a few seconds of struggling against each other, she buried her face into the side of his ribs.

"Hey, hey listen, I have to go," he whispered.

She opened one eye slightly, allowing brilliant green to poke through her dark lashes.

"Please," she murmured, before closing it again and returning to her previous position against his side.

He fell back against the pillow, staring up at the ceiling, feeling quite frustrated. It was as if the girl was set out to ruin what little was left of his night. There was no way the waitress would ever speak to him again if he stayed, and chances were that when this girl woke up, she'd be less than appreciative of waking up next to a stranger. He observed her a bit, feeling her breathe softly next to him.

"Whatever."

If his night was meant to be spent taking care of a strange drunk girl, then so be it.

* * *

Aeris felt herself slowly waking. She felt so warm and comfortable that she didn't quite want to be fully conscious just yet, so she just laid there enjoying the coziness. Her bed seemed a lot softer than usually, and the pillow she always hugged while sleeping felt more snug for some reason. She squeezed it, trying to mold it to fit her new position as she rolled over a bit. And to her horror, it nudged back at her, not wanting to be moved. 

Her eyes shot wide open. Suddenly she became very aware of her surroundings. The smell of alcohol and tobacco. The strange mattress below her. And the pillow that was not a pillow at all. It was someone's back, and she was hugging it.

She moved her arms away slowly as her mind raced to figure out what was going on.

_The party…I was drinking._

After lifting herself up on one arm, she saw that the person lying next to her was a man. His messy black hair hid his face from her, but it was definitely a man.

_Am I at home? No, I went to Gloria's…_

Slowly, she edged off the bed, which she now saw was heart shaped and covered in dark red sheets. Looking around her, she found she was in a pretty small room with no windows.

_Am I at Gloria's? No, I left, I ran out._

She was filled with dread as she realized she couldn't remember anything past leaving Gloria's apartment. Her mind pieced everything around her together. She was in a strange room with a heart shaped bed, with a strange man.

"Oh my god!"

She covered her mouth with her hands and cursed at herself for her sudden outburst. To her added dismay, the man before her was now stirring awake. Her eyes scanned the room quickly for a weapon. Just before he turned to face her, she grabbed the lamp on the nightstand by the bed, and held it out in front of her.

He turned and looked at her. His brows furrowed together, as if he didn't remember anything either, and had no idea why some girl was standing in front of him holding a lamp. After a few moments of staring at each other, his expression changed as realization hit him.

"Who are you?" Aeris demanded.

Her question seemed to confuse him a bit, "I'm Zack, don't you remember?"

She ignored him, "Why did you bring me here?"

He got off the bed too, and stood on the other side of it yawning.

"Look you were drunk, and…"

His explanation was cut short by the lamp crashing to the ground. Aeris had a horrified expression on her face.

"No! Nothing happened!" He yelled, waving his hands, "Look, just listen to me and I'll explain."

Aeris nodded in agreement, wide eyed, scared, and confused.

"You were drunk and I found you half passed out at a café. I tried to get you a cab, but you said you didn't have anywhere to go, so I decided to find you a room."

He awaited her response.

Aeris swallowed slowly, "Okay, so you brought me _here_," she looked down at the bed, "And decided to stay with me?"

Zack realized how far-fetched his story sounded considering their surroundings.

"I know how this looks," he laughed a little bit, "but no other hotel would take us because you were, well, you weren't the ideal guest."

Aeris felt her cheeks burn hot with embarrassment.

"And I only stayed because you, uhm," he looked as if he was deciding what to tell her.

"Yes?" Aeris asked, hoping that she hadn't done anything to humiliate herself further.

"Because there were some shady guys around."

She looked down at her feet, taking in what he told her.

"Look, I know it all sounds pretty made up, but I'm not lying."

Aeris studied him a bit. There was no trace of a lie in his expression, and she'd always been able to read people very well. She nodded her head slowly.

"I believe you."

Sinking down on the bed, she rested her head in her hands.

"I'm sorry for causing you all this trouble."

He walked around to her side, and sat down next to her.

"Don't worry about it. It was just common decency, anyone else would've helped you too."

She looked up at him, and saw he was smiling at her. This time he _was _lying

"Thank you very much."

She stood up, avoiding his gaze.

"I never caught your name."

She was messing with her dress and hair, trying to make both look a bit more decent.

"I'm Aeris."

"Look Aeris, you don't have to be embarrassed. It happens to the best of us, it's okay."

He chuckled, but she didn't find the matter funny at all. She felt like the world's biggest jerk. After making the stupid decision to run out of Gloria's apartment drunk, the only nice person in Midgar had found her and given her a place to stay, and in return she was going to hit him with a lamp.

"It's really not," she responded, "I'd probably be lying in a gutter right now if it hadn't been for you."

He shrugged. "But you're not, everything worked out okay."

Suddenly remembering something, she slapped her hand to her forehead, "What time is it?"

He looked down at his watch, "Almost eleven," and seeing her anxious expression asked, "do you have to be somewhere?"

She looked away from him again, feeling really stupid for what she was about to say.

"I probably need to go back home. I kind of just ran out last night without telling anyone."

Understanding, he stood up, and grabbed a cell phone out of his pocket.

"You can call whoever you need with this."

She thanked him before taking it and dialing Gloria's number. After only one ring, she picked up, sounding worried.

"Hello?"

"Hi, it's Aeris."

"Aeris! Where are you? I got so worried when I saw you weren't in your room."

Although she'd been far too drunk to remember anything that happened after she left Gloria's apartment, she still recalled what caused her to leave very clearly.

"I'll be there soon, I need you to pay for my cab when I get there, I've got no money on me."

"A cab? What? Where _are_ you?"

"Just be outside in ten minutes."

"Look, you can't just leave without telling me! What if Luke had called?"

"Then you could've told him you were too busy cheating on him to notice me leaving. I'll see you in ten minutes."

Aeris hung up the phone. She hadn't planned on confronting her about what happened in that way, but it made her feel somewhat better imagining Gloria's expression.

"Sounds like a crazy night."

Aeris turned back towards Zack, who was leaning against the wall watching her. For some reason, she found it very difficult to meet his eyes. She hadn't really noticed how tall he was before. He towered over her by about a foot, and by the look of his toned arms, he was in great shape. And if she wasn't mistaken, his eyes were so green they were glowing. Seeing him made her wish she could crawl into some hole.

Staring down at the floor as if it was extremely interesting, she said, "I don't have any cash on me right now, but I promise I'll pay you back whatever you paid for this hotel."

He waved her off.

"Don't worry about it. It was nothing. Just call yourself a cab home, and sleep off your hangover."

Aeris noticed for the first time how much her head hurt.

"No, really, let me pay you back."

He smiled and walked closer to her. She felt herself blushing.

"Alright, you can pay me back, take me up on a drink and we'll call it even."

Aeris stared at him dumbfounded. His smile wavered a little.

"I'm just kidding, you don't have to if you don't want to."

"No…no, it's not that," she stammered, "I just can't believe you're not angry after all the trouble I caused you."

He rolled his eyes, "Cut that out already. Here give me my phone."

She handed it to him, and he dialed a number.

"Yeah, I'm gonna need a cab."

While he spoke to the cab company, she snuck a peek into the mirror behind her. Her hair was sticking out all over the place. She felt like such a mess.

"Alright Aeris, cab'll be here in five. Let's wait outside."

She followed him out the door and out of the hotel. It was pretty busy outside, with people sitting along the street having breakfast on café patios. They waited on the sidewalk for the cab to arrive.

"So, how old are you?"

"Just turned seventeen."

She played with her bracelet a bit.

"Cool. I'm eighteen. And where are you from?"

"Here," she answered glumly.

He gave her a searching look.

"You don't like Midgar, do you?"

She shrugged, "It's okay."

At that moment the taxi arrived, and Zack waved it over. He turned back towards Aeris.

"Need me to go with you?"

She smiled, touched by how kind he was, "No, it's okay. You've already helped me more than I can thank you for."

"Oh yeah, that's right," he walked over to the cab driver and said something to him Aeris couldn't hear. A second later he approached her with a pen. Taking her hand in his, he began to write a number down on it.

"If you ever need anything again..."

She felt as if her hand tingled a bit where he had touched it.

"Bye Aeris."

Aeris climbed into the cab and waved goodbye to him. She gave the driver Gloria's address, and closed her eyes as the car began to move. She felt dizzy. Whether it was from her hangover or from Zack's smile, she wasn't sure.

It took about fifteen minutes to get to Gloria's apartment. During the drive Aeris had some time to think about the events of the past night. In the span of about twelve hours, she'd gotten drunk for the first time in her life, discovered Gloria cheating on Luke, and wound up in a sleazy motel with a complete stranger. All in all, it could've turned out far worse. She could've wound up in a sleazy motel with a sleazy stranger.

As the car pulled up to its endpoint, the sight of Gloria broke off Aeris' amused thoughts. She felt her anger returning as she saw her standing in her bathrobe by the street with her arms crossed. So she'd just woken up a while ago too. Must've been _really_ tired.

"She'll be paying," she told the driver, as she climbed out of the car.

Gloria glanced nervously at her, but Aeris ignored her. She brushed past her and climbed the stairs while Gloria paid her fare. The apartment was unlocked, so she let herself in and walked over to the guestroom bathroom.

After returning back to the kitchen, she found Gloria sitting at her breakfast table picking at her nails. She looked up at Aeris with a worried expression, not bothering with the smile this time.

"Did you, uhm…"

"Did I call Luke and tell him you're doing the exact same thing he's been doing for the past year?"

Gloria's eyes carried just the slightest hint of anger at Aeris' words.

"No, I didn't. And I won't. I don't care what you two do to each other anymore."

She thought she saw a look of relief flash across Gloria's face.

"But if you ever use me again…"

Gloria shot back at her, "I didn't use you!"

"Right, you didn't use me. I wasn't a distraction, right? A convenient excuse for you to bring in that idiot from the party and not have anyone suspect a thing?"

Gloria said nothing.

"If you use me again, I'll blow it. I'll tell everyone everything. And he'll leave you. Obviously that's the only thing you care about, so do yourself a favor and stay away from me from now on."

Apparently she'd pushed Gloria as far as Gloria would allow. She rose to her feet, standing proud before Aeris.

"And what were you doing just now Aeris? Out all night, and coming back with a number on your hand. Luke wouldn't like that either."

Aeris laughed at the absurdity of Gloria's retort. The woman had no strength in front of Luke, but still tried to exercise her authority over everyone else. Who could blame her when it worked so well? People were intimidated by her. Aeris had seen her as a queen at one point, but that was a long time ago.

"God, Gloria, give it up. Unlike you, I don't care what Luke thinks about me. I could partake in a wild orgy and as long as it doesn't get out and reflect badly on him, he wouldn't give a damn."

Gloria crossed her arms, "So you…?"

"Yes Gloria, I ran out of here drunk last night, andgot the first guy Iran across tocomfort me. And I've got you to thank for it."

She didn't mind telling a blatant lie, becauseshe wasn't very worried about morals when it came to dealing with Gloria anymore. She turned to walk out of the room, but turned back after a moment, meeting Gloria's livid glare once more.

"The only thing that gets me is I really thought you were different."

Something in Gloria's expression softened, and her resentment faded into what appeared to be sadness. Usually, that would be all it took for Aeris to try to comfort her, but not this time. Never again.

"I want to go home," she said quietly.

Gloria nodded and disappeared into her room.

After a while, she came back with her car keys. They left the apartment and descended the stairs silently. The car ride back to Luke's was also noiseless. They had nothing more to speak of. It had all been said.


	8. Possibly Maybe

Stained Halo  
Chapter 8: Possibly Maybe

"All the lights on and you are alive  
But you can't point the way to your heart  
So sublime, when the stars are aligned  
But you don't know  
You don't know the greatness you are"

- Cary Brothers

"Okay, you can do this, it's not that big of a deal."

Aeris closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She stood before a horribly frightening task. It was the type of trial that held the power to turn even the bravest and strongest of men into a sweaty, nervous heap. Balling up the scrap of paper she had copied Zack's phone number down on, she fell back on her bed and let out a huge groan.

She stared at the ceiling while creating what seemed the millionth mental list that day of all the reasons she was being completely ridiculous.

Sure, it was her first time sort of asking someone on a date, but it wasn't _really_ a date. She was just calling him to pay him back for the hotel. _He _was the one who'd mentioned grabbing a drink. Anyway, when did drinking something turn anything into a date?

It wasn't even as if Aeris was the shy type. The only thing stopping her from just picking up the phone and calling him was the fact that their first meeting had been horribly embarrassing. But that was really all the more reason to call him, wasn't it? To prove she wasn't usually an idiotic drunk, and to thank him again for how kind he'd been to her. His gorgeous eyes and charming smile certainly played no role in the matter.

She just wished there was someone she could talk to about this stuff. The only person that she once had for that was Gloria. But they hadn't spoken since that awful morning a week prior. Either way, she felt her situation would be a lot easier to deal with if she had someone to overanalyze every detail with.

_Thirteen year old girls are better at this than you_, Aeris inwardly insulted herself. She would hit adulthood in one year, and here she was making the biggest issue out of a non-date.

Growing tired of thinking the matter over so much, she quickly reached over to her phone and punched in the numbers before she could stop herself.

Unknowingly, she held her breath while the dial tone rang, and couldn't help but hope for answering machine.

"Hello?"

_Oh no_.

"Uhm, hi, this is Aeris! From last week."

"Hey! Finally calling eh? Was worried you might've passed out somewhere else by now."

Aeris turned very red and there was silence until his laughter came through the phone.

"I'm kidding. Anyway, how are you?"

"Oh, I'm fine. The reason I was actually calling was to see if we could meet somewhere so I could pay you back for that hotel."

"In that case, you might as well hang up, cause I already said you won't be paying for it."

"But I really would feel better if you would just let me pay you."

"Cut it out. Besides, I told you that all the payment I'd take is a drink. If you want to do that, I'll be happy to take you up on it."

Finally having to confront the moment she'd been so afraid of, she found herself pausing in nervousness for a second.

"Well, if that's what it takes, then I guess I'll have to take you out."

Aeris was surprised at how flirtatious her voice could sound.

"Thank you for making that sacrifice. So we're on then."

Plans were arranged for him to pick her up that night at nine. And as Aeris hung up the phone, she had to remind herself one more time that his gorgeous eyes and charming smile played absolutely no role in the matter.

* * *

Aeris examined herself in the mirror one last time at 8:50 that night. Her hair was falling over a simple white tank top in honey waves. A long, flowing pink skirt swooshed above golden sandals that revealed a small golden anklet above her foot. She didn't look bad. At least Gloria had taught her how to dress. 

She made her way downstairs to the living room to wait for Zack, and found Luke sitting on one of the couches. He was talking to his personal advisor, Byrne. She sat across from them; silently counting the seconds it would take for them to notice she was in the room. It was small things such as these that she amused herself with around the house.

After seven full seconds, Luke looked up from the documents they were pouring over.

"Going out?"

"Yup."

"With Gloria?" he asked mechanically, already looking back down at his work.

"Nope, with a friend."

"You don't have friends," he noted matter-of-factly.

She rolled her eyes, "I do now."

"That's good," he mumbled, before pointing something out to Byrne and losing himself in that conversation once again.

"Good talking to you," she smirked, knowing he wouldn't hear her.

She began to play with the bouquet she'd placed on the living room table. It was an arrangement of plum colored daisy poms and mini carnations. She picked one of the daisies out of the vase, and after removing most of the stem, placed it in her hair. Gloria always scoffed whenever Aeris decorated her hair with flowers, calling it childish and tacky. Aeris loved it, and never could quite get herself to give it up.

Within minutes the doorbell rang. Luke waved his hand around without looking up, giving her his usual goodbye. Byrne continued to ignore her completely.

She felt little butterflies fluttering around the pit of her stomach as she approached the door, and tried to make herself looknonchalant. As soon as she opened the door though, the offhand look faded from her face, and she smiled brightly at the young man before her.

"Hey."

Zack smiled back. He was dressed casually, sporting some jeans and an untucked button up shirt.

"Ready?"

She nodded and walked out and down the front steps with him.

"You got some house," he commented, looking around at the mansion with a wide-eyed fascination.

Aeris shrugged, "Yeah, I loved it as a child, but it's beginning to look more and more ridiculous to me."

"Bored of living in a palace, princess?" he teased.

"Oh, shut up," she laughed.

He started up the car and they drove past the gates. She found herself talking to him with incredible ease, and as she was swept into a great conversation, the worry that had plagued her about whether their get together was a date or not began to matter less and less.

She found out Zack was a first class SOLDIER, which surprised her a bit. She always imagined SOLDIERs as tough-as-steel, emotionless machines. Zack seemed so kind and full of energy; she couldn't imagine him in any kind of stoic military formation.

In ten minutes' time they climbed out of his car and entered a well-known lounge in downtown Midgar. It was decorated in a manner that resembled the style of the far western empire.

"Are those real Wutaian ninja scrolls?" Aeris asked, pointing at the adornment that lined the wall.

"Who knows," Zack answered, "Ten years ago, I'd have said no way, but Wutaian art is more and more common around the world. Lots of tourism."

They sat down at a small table for two, and Aeris continued talking.

"I'd _love_ to go to Wutai. I was reading this book about the mountain ranges there, apparently they're the largest in the world, and Wutaians have no problem navigating around them."

Zack looked slightly confused, "Your parents seem to have a lot of money. I thought a lot of the richer crowd goes on vacation there a lot."

"Well, my stepfather is certainly very wealthy. But the only place he refuses to step foot in during his time off work is Costa del Sol. And he's never invited me along, so I actually haven't been outside of Midgar."

"You're not missing all that much," he replied, "I know Midgar's not perfect, but there's a lot of better opportunities here."

Aeris raised a brow skeptically, "Like what?"

He looked around, shaking his head slightly, as if he didn't know where to begin.

"Like the opportunity to make a name for yourself. To make enough money to support yourself with more than the bare necessities."

She regarded what he said for a few moments, and then giving him a searching look, asked carefully, "Is that why you came here?"

Zack smiled, pleasantly surprised by the girl's acute perception.

"Yeah, it is. I'm actually from a tiny town called Gongaga. My parents ran a small shop there, like everyone else. We never had much, and I guess the plan was for me to run the shop after them. But…"

"But?"

Stretching his arms behind him, he tried to think of the best way to explain his actions.

"But it wasn't for me. My mother once told me I'd outgrown Gongaga by the time I was five, and she was scared I'd outgrow the world at twenty. Which is kind of true. During the Wutai war the word spread about Sephiroth and the elite SOLDIERs. I grew up dreaming of that kind of glory. So when I turned sixteen, I decided it was time to reach for my dreams. I moved to Midgar, enlisted in the military, and worked my way up."

"Wow…"

Although the way Zack was speaking made it seem as if being accepted into SOLDIER was easy, Aeris knew better. She knew that only the top one percentof the Shinra army made it in, and that even less reached the First Class status. Aeris guessed that Zack must've trained for this all of his life. She tried to picture him as a young boy, dreaming of becoming famous like General Sephiroth one day, and found that the picture pieced together very well.

"What about Gongaga? Don't you ever miss your parents?"

"Sometimes. I try to call and write as much as possible, but there are a lot of distractions in this city to keep me from missing them too much," he stopped to look at her in such a way that made her feel like she was blushing from head to toe, "The main thing I miss about Gongaga, is actually_ this_."

Aeris froze as he brought his hand up to her face, and ran his fingers through her hair.

"Wh...what…" she stammered, looking much like a deer caught in headlights.

But the next moment she saw he was holding the flower she'd put in her hair. He brought it up to his face and smelled it.

"I miss nature. Everything was so green around there; I always had trees to climb and bushes to hide in. Nothing grows in Midgar. Where'd you get this anyway, import it from Kalm?"

Aeris was still recovering from him touching her face, but quickly answered, trying to sound composed, "No, I grew it myself."

"Are you serious?" He asked, looking astounded.

She nodded, "We've got a couple of green houses behind the house. My stepfather lets me use a little corner of one for my flowers in exchange for taking care of his crop."

Immediately, Aeris regretted what she said. She couldn't believe she'd just brought up the greenhouses. The look in Zack's eyes told Aeris that he'd caught her slip, but after seeing how distressed she looked right afterwards, decided not to press the matter.

Thankfully, a waitress arrived and redirected their attention.

"Hey, can I grab you anything to…" she looked up at them, and her eyes widened, "Zack!"

Zack looked back slightly surprised, "Oh, hey Miyako."

It wasn't difficult for Aeris to guess what the look that passed between the two meant. Miyako was beautiful—she had the kind of straight, jet-black hair Aeris always loved, and was tall with exotic features.

"I haven't seen _you_ in a while, stranger," she cooed at Zack, seemingly not noticing Aeris next to him.

Zack scratched the back of his head nervously, "Yeah, I've been busy, you know."

"Well you should really clear up an hour or two for me sometime. Or if I recall correctly, five," she shot him an enticing look.

_Oh my god._ Aeris cleared her throat, feeling extremely uncomfortable. The waitress finally noticed she was there, and looked back and forth between Zack and Aeris a couple of times before widening her eyes and letting out a small "oh." An awkward silence ensued, finally broken by a slightly red Zack.

"But yeah, anyway! Drink, Aeris?"

The way she was feeling, she would've liked to order a hard drink. But remembering what happened the last time she drank, she decided on sparkling water instead.

"Make that two," Zack said, trying to act as if nothing had happened.

"Coming right up!"

The waitress left without any more comments to Zack, but Aeris could've sworn she saw her wink at him before she walked away.

"Sorry about that, uh, she's an old acquaintance," he apologized.

"Oh no, that's fine, I don't care!" Aeris said in a tone that wound up sounding a bit higher than she intended.

It _was_ fine. Like she told herself before, it wasn't a date. She was with him because she owed him one. If they came across ten of his little girlfriends, it wouldn't matter a tiny bit to her. She was used to it from going out to dinner with Luke.

"Do you run into old acquaintances a lot, then?" The answer had slipped out before she could stop herself. Embarrassed, she quickly added, "You don't have to answer that."

He laughed, not a tiny bit taken back by her brashness, "Never usually happens, really."

_Sure_, she thought to herself. The amity she'd felt a few minutes prior towards him was slowly ebbing. Now she found herself instinctively drawing out similarities between him and another womanizer in her life.

"You know, I've been talking about myself this whole time, and never given you a chance to say anything about yourself."

_Good at switching the topic, this is beginning to seem familiar_.

Aeris shrugged, smiling, "Not much to know, really."

"Why do I not believe you?" he teased.

She grinned back innocently, and Zack found himself thinking she had one of the most mysterious smiles he'd ever laid eyes on.

"You said you've never left Midgar? So your family's from here?"

Giving in to his attempt at prying information out of her, Aeris answered carefully.

"Kind of. My adoptive father is. My real parents are from an area far north from here, but they passed away when I was really young."

"Oh, sorry to hear about that."

"It's okay," Aeris replied, as a different waitress delivered their drinks.

"Nice of your step-dad to take you in though."

"Yeah, real nice."

The dripping sarcasm was easily detectable in her usually gentle voice.

"Do you not get along with him?"

She shook her head, "Not really. Well, I mean, it's complicated. I guess we've just got very different point of views."

Breaking off, she thought about how much she should and shouldn't tell Zack. He was listening attentively, waiting for her to continue.

"Well, it's no use pretending he's a great man. You've lived in Midgar long enough to know that people as involved with Shinra and wealthy as he is aren't saints."

"Involved with Shinra?"

"Yes, he just started a partnership with them. Luke Cole."

Zack gave a low whistle, "You're _Luke Cole's_ daughter?"

"Yes," she answered quietly, with a slightly sour look on her face.

"That's so strange," Zack was now inspecting her closely, "I've met the kids of other guys like him before, and you're nothing like them."

"What do you mean?" Aeris asked, although she already had an idea of what he meant. There was a reason she never wound up great friends with any of those people.

"They tend to be spoiled brats. Always got a way of talking down to you, even if their only talent is spending their parents' money. And you, you're…"

He tried to think of the right words.

"Well, obviously I don't know you that well yet. But you seem really decent, Aeris. I know you said you don't get on well with Mr. Cole, but it doesn't seem like he's done that bad a job on you."

Aeris snorted, "I'm sorry. I'm not much better than any of the 'spoiled brats' you just mentioned."

"Yes you are."

"No, I'm really not," she insisted. He didn't know her. She suspected he was just complimenting her for the same purpose that Luke complimented women. To get something out of it.

"It's the way you treat people."

"What?"

The corners of his mouth turned slightly upwards, "It's like…when you look at people, you really _look_ at them. This whole time you've talked to me, you've actually listened to what I said. You got a lot of respect for others, and that's rare in this city."

She regarded his words silently, looking down at her hands. Slight guilt welled up within her, for the doubt that she still felt towards him.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Aeris. You're doing just fine."

Looking back up at him, she couldn't help but think... Womanizer or not, he was a really sweet guy.

* * *

The rest of their time together was spent pleasantly. They spoke about Midgar and Gongaga, about Shinra and politics, about music and movies, dumb jokes, about anything that crossed their minds—they both loved to talk and did plenty of it. And when it was time to leave, Aeris made Zack let her pay despite his protests about "chivalry." 

As they drove back, they continued to talk nonstop. She was amazed at how well she could relate to someone she'd just gotten to know. After pulling up in her circular driveway, he stopped at the entrance to her house, and shut off the car. He stepped out, and opened the door for her, offering her his arm.

She laughed and rolled her eyes in response, stating that this time she could walk by herself.

"I had a really great time tonight, Zack, thanks," she said as they climbed the stairs to her door.

"Yeah, I guess it was bearable for me too."

She playfully smacked his arm, rolling her eyes. When they reached the top step, they stopped and turned to face each other.

"Well, goodnight then," Aeris said cheerfully, but felt her smile waver nervously as she realized how near she was standing to him.

"Goodnight," he responded, also hushed to a near-whisper by their closeness. Neither made a movement to turn away.

She could really see how his eyes glowed in the darkness, the green slowly swirling like water in a forest pond. Her breath was caught in her throat, and she found herself unable tolook away from his gaze. They remained there for some time, locked in each other's eyes, moving closer at an excruciatingly slow pace. When his lips were mere inches from her, her lids seemed so heavy to her, it felt natural to lower them. To close her eyes, and just drink in the sweet sensation of his warmth.

But with the silent thrill of her oncoming first kiss, suddenly appeared an image in her mind of Gloria. Of Gloria's tear-streaked face that first time she'd discovered Luke cheated on her. A floodgate of other thoughts was torn open; Luke flirting with countless women, his manipulative smile, his deceptive words, and the ease with which it all came to him. And then a flash of Zack.

She opened her eyes, and found his lips _too_ close. Without thinking, she pushed him away, and took a step back so she was pressed against the door.

"I…I have to go."

Aeris didn't want to see the way he was looking at her. Quickly turning around, she stepped in the door and shut it in his face. She rushed up to her room, feeling full of shame and guilt. It took a lot of will not to run to her window and watch him pull away, knowing she'd just ruined a perfect evening. And as she laid down to sleep, she couldn't help but wonder if he'd go back after all, and take up the waitress on her offer.

**

* * *

**

**A/N:** Ooh, drama. Did you guys like the length of this chapter better than the last one? I want to play around with shorterchapters for a while, with the intention of more frequent updates (hopefully). But if the quality starts decreasing along with the word count, I'll go back to my old way.

But more importantly, thanks for still reading this! And a huuuuuge thanks for everyone who took the time to leave me reviews. It means very, very much to me.

Second, I went back and edited some of the older chapters. Mostly, it's just wording and dialogue I wasn't happy with, but there were a few key plot revisions. Here are the changes that you need to know:

1. Luke doesn't know about Aeris escaping from the lab  
2. In exchange for Aeris helping out in the green houses, she gets a monthly payment of 2000 gil (half of which she donates), and a few square feet to grow her own flowers.

Each chapter seems to be a constant work in progress, but I'll try to keep the plot revisions to a minimum. Anyway, I'd love to hear what you guys thought about this chapter and how everything's rolling along in general. And as for the question about Reno; patience. ;) He'll play a bigger role in Aeris' life soon-ish.


	9. Good Morning Sunshine

**Stained Halo  
**Chapter 9: Good Morning Sunshine

After a full two hours of tossing about in bed in a weak attempt to go back to sleep, Aeris finally gave in to the fact that the noise downstairs was not going to go away. It was the morning after her date with Zack, and she was feeling thoroughly sour. The scene of the near-kiss must have replayed at least twenty times in her head that night, leaving her restless and irritated.

Her clock told her it was already past noon, but she was still in no mood to be up. The cheerful demeanor she usually carried was all but completely gone—replaced by pent-up anger at herself, so that she was afraid she'd snap at the next person she came across. Nevertheless, the rumbling in her stomach forced her to roll out of bed miserably and make way for the kitchen.

She plodded down the hall not caring that her bangs were sticking up in all directions and her expression resembled that of a zombie. Rubbing her eyes lazily, she turned the corner towards the stairs, but was shocked awake by the sight that met her.

The end of the upstairs hall was open, so that one could clearly see the grand entrance on the first floor. And there, in plain view, stood Gloria with the redhead from the party. The very one who Aeris had found slipping into her bedroom. Aeris' jaw dropped. She could see they were speaking in hushed tones, with Gloria breaking out in laughter every so often. After leaning in dangerously close to him, Gloria turned and walked out of the house. The redhead was left standing in the entrance hall, and didn't look one bit bothered by it.

Snapping out of her stunned daze, Aeris found herself rushing downstairs within seconds. _In Luke's house? Has Gloria absolutely lost her mind?_

She must have been an odd sight at that moment; her hair wild and unkempt, emerald eyes narrowed, and hands balled into fists as she stomped towards him in moogle pajamas. He wasn't given a so much as a second to react before she grabbed his arm angrily.

"_What are you doing here?_"she hissed.

He turned to her with an expression that suggested she'd just grown an extra head.

"What?"

Aeris looked around suspiciously, afraid that someone would turn up and discover them. Then, strengthening her grip on his arm, she attempted to pull him out the front door. However, his confusion only left him dumbstruck for so long, and he easily pulled his arm out of her grasp.

"Whoa, cool it, what are you doing?"

"I don't know what Gloria was thinking bringing you _here_ of all places, but unless you have a death wish for the both of you, you better _go_."

"Look babe, I don't know what mental ward you just escaped from, but I have no idea what you're talking about," he retorted, and to her alarm, instead of heeding her advice and running for his life, he stood his ground, smirking arrogantly. Her exasperation grew until she was almost yelling.

"Did Gloria tell you that it's empty here today? Because it's not. We've got a housekeeper here constantly, and if she sees you, which she probably already has, she's going to tell Luke you were here, and then both you and Gloria are done for!"

"Now, what would give you that idea?" He watched her with an amused expression, as if her antics were those of a confused child. Then to prove his point, he continued, "Luke knows I'm here, he's in that room right there." He pointed his chin at the door leading to the conference room.

"What? Luke is here? Right now?" Puzzlement spread over her. Gloria had brought the man she was cheating on Luke with to Luke's house…with Luke at home. And yet, there he stood in front of her, alive, unharmed.

"And he _knows_ about you and Gloria?"

He continued to lean against the wall with his arms crossed, looking absolutely relaxed.

"What's there to know?"

Whether his eyes glinted challengingly or playfully, she couldn't tell. The only thing that was apparent was that he wasn't moving. But judging by his answer, Luke didn't know about him and Gloria.

"So why _are _you here then?"

"Business."

He shifted his now-uninterested gaze away from her, and towards the conference-room door. As if on cue, it opened, allowing the sound of a flurry of voices to escape. Aeris realized that the room had been the source of all the noise keeping her awake. Luke stepped out first, with President Shinra and Byrne by his side. Following them, were people Aeris thought she recognized from the party, but didn't know the names of. A man just as fat as the President with a thick black beard was laughing loudly, and sounded much like a barking dog to Aeris. He received a stony glare from an extremely young man next to him, clad totally in white. She thought it was odd to see him among the group, as he didn't look a day older than her. A tall blonde wearing a skirt that Aeris thought was far too short was talking to what looked to be a reporter. Behind her was Mayor Domino conversing with a small man with a goatee. And at the very back of the group trailed a photographer snapping his camera nonstop.

They turned to walk towards the breakfast area, but not before Luke spotted her at the other end of the hall.

"Aeris," he called out, excusing himself from the president to walk over to her.

"I see you've met Reno," he smiled at the two of them.

"We met at the party," she responded dryly. So _Reno_ was his name…

"Oh?" He looked to Reno for confirmation.

"Oh yeah, had a real blast." A mocking smile painted his lips as his green eyes flickered on Aeris for just a second.

"That's great." The quick shift of Luke's tone from friendly to uninterested was not lost on either Reno or Aeris. He now turned to Aeris with instructions. "Well, we're finishing up the meeting with the Midgar Times over brunch, and I need to introduce you before everyone leaves. So come with me to…_what_ are you wearing?"

Luke looked pointedly down at her outfit.

She suddenly became very aware of the fact that everyone who'd passed into the breakfast room had seen her in her moogle pajamas. Turning red, she stammered, "I just woke up a second ago. I didn't realize we had company." _Since warnings are impossible for you._

"Right, well hurry up and make yourself look acceptable." He turned to Reno, "You know, you _really_ don't need to stand guard in my house. Join us for brunch? We've got the most excellent mimosas."

Reno shrugged, "Turks don't really sit in on meetings."

"But this is just brunch." Aeris knew Luke hated it when his offers weren't accepted. He had a tendency of seeing it as a way of undermining his authority. In his mind, people didn't have the _right_ to say no to him, especially when he was being gracious.

But Reno just remained there with his arms crossed lazily, "Boss' orders."

Luke smiled, but Aeris thought it carried a slightly dangerous hint to it. She was sure he was marking Reno down in his mind; noting him as one of the people he'd have to put in his place as he began to work more closely with Shinra. "Suit yourself. Aeris, I'll see you in a minute."

He turned away from them and walked towards the breakfast room. Left alone, Aeris looked at Reno once more.

She whispered, "So Gloria was just here to…"

"Spend a lovely morning with her fiancée." He didn't bother to hide the sarcasm in his voice, and Aeris couldn't help but wonder why he wasn't scared of her. In all regards, he should be. All she had to do was talk to Luke, and Gloria and Reno would be exposed. Any other man in his position would treat Luke and Aeris with fearful respect. Reno, on the other hand, had completely blown Luke off, and was treating Aeris as if she were a mere annoyance.

Then again, maybe it didn't matter to him. The Turks weren't exactly known for having the highest morals. There was a chance he'd suffer no consequences. _Or_ _maybe…_

"You don't think I'd do it, do you? That I won't tell?"

He shrugged one shoulder, "You'd have done it a week ago. I heard you run out instead." It was said in such a matter-of-fact way, that Aeris felt like the natural response would be an "Oh, okay." He seemed so utterly careless, that even if she threw a fit, he'd probably shrug it off. It seemed to be an automatic response of his. Instead, she settled for asking him a question.

"You heard me that night?"

In response, his complete apathy was replaced by a devilish smile. "Yeah, for looking like you weigh ten pounds, you sure do stomp around loudly."

Aeris couldn't believe him. She felt her eyebrows knit together and her jaw drop the slightest bit. _The audacity…_

Her reaction only fueled him further. "Better get ready before daddy gets mad."

"Go to hell," she snapped, and scampered up the stairs.

She was surprised at herself—she never reacted that way towards anyone. But in all five minutes of speaking to her, he had managed to draw the aggression out of her. The truth was, she would never tell on Gloria. Despite the growing resentment she felt towards her, she could never bring herself to do her harm. But she hadn't expected on being called out on this. In fact, she had assumed that Reno would be just as terrified of her as Gloria was, and was not happy about him catching on to her charade.

She threw her pajamas on her bed, making a mental note to wear plain ones from that point on. After grabbing white capris and a pale green blouse to complete an outfit Luke would approve of, she roughly ran a comb through her hair. That's what she had to worry about now; playing the part of the sophisticated young lady. Whenever he had any sort of interview with business journals or newspapers, he always preferred to hold it at his own house, and made sure to have her there. She was never actually mentioned in any of the articles, but it displayed him as a "family man" to the reporters, who were always more likely to portray him in a positive light after meeting his charming little daughter.

With a toothbrush in one hand, she slipped on her shoes and sprayed a tiny amount of expensive perfume on with the other. Once she finished rinsing out, she made her way back downstairs. She really wasn't looking forward to being in the same room as all the Shinra executives. Even though Hojo was not present, it was still unnerving to know that the company he worked for was.

Reno was still where she'd left him, looking only slightly more bored. She thought he was the strangest looking Shinra employee she'd ever seen. Everyone else had been dressed in expensive, pressed suits, and he looked like he'd just rolled out of bed. It made her think that it wasn't just Luke's and her opinion he didn't care about, but everyone else's as well. Silently wondering how it was that he was accepted into the Turks with that kind of an attitude, she passed him trying to avoid eye contact.

"I actually recognize you now."

She stopped mid-step, and turned halfway around to glare at him over her shoulder. "What?"

"At first I didn't recognize you as the girl from the party. The morning look ain't a good one for you."

She bit back the retort that he looked just as bad as he did that night, and marched on with her head held high. The last thing she wanted was giving him the satisfaction of getting a rise out of her again.

* * *

There were nine introductions she had to go through before she could sit down and smile quietly, laughing politely at everything Luke would want her to laugh at.

President Shinra. He'd shaken her hand roughly; his grip felt like iron, and if she would have dared glanced down at her palm afterwards, she would have seen it was red. It was the handshake of a businessman fifty years in the making. How many men and women had he used it on to prove his power over them? To verify he could crush them if he so chose. He was smiling, but he may as well have been baring his teeth, with how severe the smile was. Aeris could not imagine him producing a single gentle gesture in his life.

Vice President Shinra. For a second, both her brows rose in surprise. Now that she was closer to the lean, blonde man, his youthful features confirmed that he had to be around her age. He was the President's son, so it made sense that he had the position so early. But she still could not help and wonder if a kinder father would not have made his son wait and enjoy his adolescence while he had it. He didn't have many similarities to the president; except for the pale blue eyes, there were no physical traits he seemed to have inherited from the shorter, stocky man. And although he already carried the air of an important businessman at such a tender age, he did so much differently from his father. Whereas his father had crushed Aeris' hand and radiated unrepressed force, his son's actions pointed to him being more of a conniving, subtle man.

The heads of the Public Order and Weapons Development Divisions. The two really had the worst laughs Aeris had ever heard. While she was being introduced to them, the President made a remark that was hardly humorous, and the two erupted in hearty guffaws. She supposed they had perfected the art of making their forced laughter sound believable through the sheer volume of it. Heidegger was a very sweaty man, and when she removed her hand from his she had to resist the urge to wipe it on her pants. Scarlet lowered and raised her heavily painted lids as she gave Aeris a full once-over, before smiling at her bitter-sweetly. Something told Aeris that every woman received such treatment from her.

The Mayor and the head of the City Development Division. They were both a breath of fresh air after the previous four introductions. Their names were Domino and Reeve, respectively, and they gave her the only genuine smiles she'd received thus far.

Last, came the two people Luke deemed most important in the room--the reporter and her photographer. This is what Aeris was here for. She gave the most brilliant smile she could muster, and complimented the reporter's necklace. The woman was charmed, and told Luke he'd raised the most exquisite young girl in Midgar.

She spent the next hour sipping on her orange juice quietly as everyone conversed between the interviewer's questions. It only took ten minutes for her to notice an obvious pattern to how the answering went. The reporter would ask a question, and the first people to speak up tended to be Heidegger or Scarlet. They had no tact, and would usually say something crude, so that Luke or Byrne would step in and rework their replies into more diplomatic lies. Reeve mainly focused on the questions about how the progress of the city's development would affect its people. His answers were honest and hopeful, and Aeris noticed he'd brave a glance at President Shinra every once in a while, as if what he was answering was something he'd tried to talk to the man about before. The president himself tended to speak only of financials, reinforcing the notion that the people's well-being was dependent on Shinra's monetary health, and that as long as they supported Shinra, they would be taken care of. Only Aeris was observant enough to notice the sneer his son carried each time the president spoke. But Rufus remained silent throughout the ordeal, seeming much like he thought himself too important to waste his breath on a stupid interview.

There was one particular instance in which the group had gotten quite sidetracked from the interview, and everyone was discussing the new vacation resort at Costa del Sol. She noticed that Rufus, who was sitting next to her, looked just as bored as she felt.

She leaned slightly in with a small smile, so that only he could hear her. "Wildly interesting, huh?"

She could make out the slightest trace of a grin on his face, and for the first time that day she thought he actually looked like a teenager. Despite how different he probably was from her, Aeris decided not to pass up the chance of speaking to someone at the table closer to her own age.

"So, are you dragged along to a lot of these things?"

"I try not to make a habit of it. But as the vice president of the company, yes, I do have to put up with them sometimes."

Aeris had to hold in a giggle at his serious tone. He sounded so _adult_.

"How old are you anyway?" Then realizing her question might be taken as rude, shyly added in, "If you don't mind my asking, that is." He, however, looked as if he were used to hearing that question.

"Sixteen."

Her eyes widened. He was younger than her!

"Oh wow! That's crazy…"

Rufus did not look bothered by her small outburst. He merely shrugged.

"Is it? I know the company better than people in their fifties."

Aeris quietly chastised herself for her blunt, tactless way. "Oh yes, of course, I didn't mean that you don't know what you're doing. It's just that it's not everyday you meet someone in their teens who's got your kind of position. I've never even worked a day in my life."

"Sure you have."

She gave him a questioning look.

"What, that little act you gave the journalist there was genuine? You'd be surprised how much you really work for your father."

Her eyes lingered on his for a while, hardly believing that such a young boy managed to figure her out in a matter of minutes. But then again, experience really was the best teacher, and it seemed like he had gone through much of the same issues with his father as she had with Luke. And although by the looks of it, he had adapted much better than her, she thought she could still catch glimpses of the boy in him who had never had a chance to be a carefree kid. She found that the more she observed him, the more relieved she was that Midgar and Luke had not managed to break all of her spirit in the past seventeen years.

Once she was lost deep in her thoughts, the rest of the meeting went by fairly quickly. Soon enough, it was broken up, and everyone was rising out of their seats and making their way to the front entrance. The interviewer thanked everyone for their participation, and confirmed that the article would be out in a matter of days. Once the goodbyes were said, and people began to leave Luke's house, the photographer resumed his non-stop picture taking and Aeris found herself blinded by some of the flashes. She blinked, trying to regain her normal vision, and was not happy to find Reno standing in front of her once the colorful dots faded from her view.

Trailing behind the photographer, he was the last to walk out. But before he stepped outside, he turned back to Aeris half-smiling.

"Till next time."

Aeris rolled her eyes in response, "I can't wait."

She'd earned a chuckle out of him before he closed the door behind him and Aeris was left standing alone in the house.

* * *

A/N: Sorry about the lack of stuff actually happening, I know this was kind of a boring chapter. But I wanted to set up some stuff still to come. (I seem to do a lot of this.)

I decided to leave Palmer out of the little meet and greet, because he's the Head of the Space Division, and I couldn't figure out how to tie that to Luke. Also, I hope Rufus wasn't too OOC. In the game he's 21, and this takes place 5-6 years beforehand, so I figured he wasn't _as_ cold yet. We'll see some more of Zack in the next chapter. Thanks for reading, and thanks again for your reviews. You guys are the best. :)

Also, is everyone else freaking out about Advent Children yet? Because I know I am.


	10. Life Like Weeds

Stained Halo  
Chapter 10: Life Like Weeds

"And true love waits, in haunted attics  
And true love lives, on lollipops and crisps  
Just don't leave, don't leave"

-Radiohead

Tiny lights shone through the darkness from the plate looming over him, giving off the illusion that he was gazing at a starry night. A blanket of silence covered the area, hushing him down to quiet breaths. He was lying flat on his back on a rooftop, so still that his form blended easily into the darkness. Only his eyes stood out; the dazzling green smoldering the surrounding obscurity. Had someone actually noticed him there, they might have thought him to be fantasizing about far-off pipe dreams.

But no, that was the last thing on Zack's mind at that moment. In fact, he was keeping all thoughts away. His entire concentration was focused on listening—the rest would come automatically. For the scene around him was a deceiving one. While the stillness suggested peace, it was actually the kind of calm found in the eye of a hurricane.

The roof he was laying on was that of an old warehouse thought to have been abandoned for the past ten years. In reality, it was the dwelling of the most menacing rebel group in Midgar. Many of these factions had sprung up in the slums, most of them harmless. But according to a Shinra spy who pretended to be loyal to the rebellion, this particular party had collected the firepower necessary to do some serious damage. And now it was time to neutralize the situation.

The spy convinced the rebels that Shinra had been tipped off about their weaponry's storage site, and that they had to move all the supplies as soon as possible. All the members agreed to meet there that night and work hidden in the darkness to transport the artillery to a new warehouse. Unbeknownst to them, the man who had given them the helpful suggestion went back to Shinra that very day to organize an attack. So it came that all the rebels were in the warehouse below Zack, oblivious that they were being shut in by three Turks who had crept inside after them.

The plan was for the Turks to open fire and push all the rebels to the back. Then Tseng would give the signal, and Zack, along with four other SOLDIERs, would come down through five openings that the spy had cut in the metal roof the night before. From the information he'd been given, Zack knew the five of them were up against an estimated thirty. He wasn't even slightly nervous.

As the minutes rolled by, he felt the moment of action steadily nearing. Closing his eyes, he shut out everything except the feel of the metal under him. He only heard one scream before the sound of the first bullet rang through the air, shattering the peaceful illusion from before. Numerous shouts rose up as gunfire spread below him, but he and the other men on the roof remained static. Zack's hand moved down to his belt, wherea cable attached to the roofwas wound around his buckle. He gripped it, knowing it would only be a matter of seconds now.

"_Go._" Tseng's quiet command came through his earpiece and Zack rolled over into the roof's gap in a flash. Fifty feet in the air, he shifted as he fell, so that his feet were below him.

As Zack slid down, he held onto the cable with one hand and unsheathed his massive sword from his back with the other. Three of the SOLDIERs dropping down next to him opened fire on the unsuspecting men below them, clearing landing spots, while the fifth SOLDIER pulled out two Katanas. Once he was about five feet from the ground, Zack unclasped the belt buckle, releasing himself from the cable and landed nimbly.

The drop-down maneuver had caused panic among the rebels, and they were shooting frantically as they ran for cover. With the quality of their aim reduced significantly, Zack was able to move in close enough to use his sword. This kicked off that essential moment of battle that he found so difficult to explain to those that weren't warriors. His mind became empty of everything and warped into a device used only to evaluate movement. It was a dance to him—he saw a flash of metal in the corner of his eye, rolled back and swooped his sword upwards, cutting into a gunman's hand so that he dropped his weapon before receiving a hit in the stomach. Without losing momentum, he shot the blunt end of his sword out behind him, having sensed an enemy there before the man had even had a chance to turn around. He twisted on his heel, so that a rebel running at him with a dagger missed his target by inches. The man swung once more, but Zack moved too fast. The SOLDIER turned so that the man missed again, and without giving him a chance for a third swing, grabbed his head and smashed it against a crate, knocking him out.

It continued that way for the next few seconds. Zack took down three more men before he moved behind two crates for cover. There he took a moment to assess the situation. The blue suit visible through the railing on the upper level indicated that the Turks had moved in again, and were shooting from above. He guessed about fifteen rebels were strewn on the floor either knocked out or dead. The rest were hiding or engaged in battle with his fellow SOLDIERs.

Zack was about to jump back out when the sound of glass shattering to his left caused him to spin around. Three rebels had managed to break open a window, and were escaping through it holding what appeared to be grenades. He was on his feet in less than a second, trying to run soundlessly up to them without being seen. But one of them turned around and saw him, opening up fire as the other two quickly took the chance to jump through. Zack leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding the spray of bullets. He crouched low to the ground behind some more crates as the man continued shooting. Scanning the area around him, he spotted an empty wooden box at his side. Grabbing it, he rose from his cover just high enough to hurl it at the gunman. The rebel brought his arms up to shield himself from the collision, and Zack used that moment to jump up at him and land a hard punch in his face. As the man fell from his spot at the window, Zack did not waste a second before pulling himself through it and running swiftly after the two escapees.

The gunman had delayed Zack enough to where he'd given his comrades a good head start. He ran straight forward, reasoning that they would have been more likely to run away from the building than along it. He searched the area as he ran, and for a while he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to find them. He wound up in a smaller street lined with alleys, and decided to stop running in order to give himself a chance to try to listen for any movement. It was almost immediate—the sound of a pin hitting the ground in the alley next to him. The image of the grenades the men were carrying flashed in Zack's mind and not a second later he broke into a dash. The explosion roared behind him, its heat licking his legs as he and the dirt from the ground were sent hurling into the air. All he could do was grit his teeth and brace himself before he felt the impact with the wall. His arms took most of the blow, but he still felt his ribs crush against the stone painfully.

The sound of running footsteps elicited a frustrated growl out of Zack. He lifted himself from his resting position against the wall, ignoring the throbbing protest in his side. They may have managed to hurt him, but in the process, had given away their position. Zack saw them a ways ahead, running together along the alleyway. That was their second mistake—they should have split up. Clutching his sword, he chased after them. Tried as they would to escape him, Zack was the far faster runner, and was inching closer by the second. One of the men noticed this, and in a desperate endeavor, reached for a grenade at his side once again. This time, however, Zack was prepared.

With his arms and legs pumping furiously, he increased his speed, and reached the man as soon as he'd pulled the pin out of the cartridge. Zack's knee landed in the man's stomach, and he released the grenade into the air with a grunt. Time seemed to stop as Zack grabbed the rebel around the waist and took another dive. This time he managed to land behind the next alley before the blast went off, and the wall shielded him and the man from the detonation. Catching his breath, he saw the other man already running into the distance again. Zack looked down at his captive, who was staring up at him in disbelief that he'd saved him. But Zack didn't feel as grateful towards the man for trying to blow him up.

"I'll deal with you later."

He punched him in the face, knocking him out, before breaking into a run again. He just had one more to catch and was determined to make this a short chase. The rebel kept winding his way around narrow alleys, in a manner that proved he knew this area of the slums far better than Zack. Tiring of the disadvantage, Zack picked up momentum, and launched himself toward the edge of a low rooftop at the next house. His legs swung over almost instinctively and he was running and leaping along the rooftops. With the newfound help of his improved visibility, he was able to keep sight of the rebel, and not be slowed down by annoying twists and turns. The gap between them closed almost instantly, but before Zack had the chance to jump down and confront him, the man fled inside a large, wooden building.

Zack wasted no time going after him, bursting through the door quickly enough to prevent the other man from finding a hiding spot. It worked—as soon as he was inside he found himself in a large hall, with the man across from him. He had nowhere to run. The rebel had a frantic look about him, pulling out a gun and aiming it at Zack.

"Stay where you are," he spat, taking slow steps back as his hands shook nervously.

But Zack kept up his slow stride forward with his sword raised and a defiant grin on his lips.

"I'm gonna give you three seconds to put that gun down. If you do, you'll walk out of here in handcuffs. If you don't, you'll walk out without an arm."

The man didn't even think before shooting. Zack saw it coming, and hurled himself sideways, landing behind a bench. The whole room was lined with them.

"One!" He yelled, crouching low to the ground while running to the other side of the room. The bullets persisted, one almost grazing his neck.

"Two!" He was running full force now, heading straight for the wall at the side while the bullets chased him furiously.

"Three!" He lifted his leg, so his left foot landed on the wall, and he pushed himself off towards the corner. His right boot hit the next wall, and he pushed off again, twisting in the air so he flew back and landed on the top of a bench facing the gunman. The man had not expected this at all, and was still shooting in the wrong direction, giving Zack the opening he needed to jump across the benches and hurl himself at him. He sliced at his arm, cutting it from his shoulder to his elbow. The gun clanked noisily as it hit the floor. Zack grabbed the man's injured arm, twisted it back, and raised his sword.

The man winced violently, shielding his face with his free arm. It took him a full three seconds to open his eyes and see Zack had sheathed his sword in its holster on his back.

"C'mon man, I wasn't really going to cut your arm off. That's just excessive." Zack gave him a smile, and the man could not understand how the SOLDIER could joke at such a time.

"Don't be mad, it's just my job."Zack's apology sounded surprisingly honest.He gave therebel a small, contrite shrug, before twisting his other arm behind him and placing cuffs on his wrists. He patted him on the side of his arm, and pulled him up, so they were standing in the middle of the hall.

It was the first chance Zack got to really look around. His eyes swept over the high wooden ceiling and down the beams on each side. These lead to partially broken windows, which despite their blemishes still gave off an ethereal glow through colorful stained glass. The whole place seemed to _sing_ of something sacred and so lost to the rest of the city. And as he stepped towards the altar at the end of the hall, he could only think of one person.

* * *

An automatic door slid open for Aeris, admitting her into the "Midgar Clarity Center", a nonprofit rehabilitation facility for drug and alcohol abusers. It was housed in a fairly large building that was as clean as a hospital and personal as a school. The pictures of doctors, nurses, psychiatrists, and patients that lined the walls were a familiar sight to her by then. For the past three years, the young girl visited the center at least once a month, every month. Passing the standing sign with the inspirational slogan,_He who has hope has everything_,was like saying hello to a dear, old friend.

She made her way to the front counter with a cheery smile. An older lady sat there shuffling through some papers, and her eyes brightened joyfully once she saw Aeris' approaching form.

"Aeris! Good to see you, dear! How are you?"

How the girl loved the old woman. She, like everyone else there, was always so friendly and appreciative of every act of kindness Aeris put forth. Over the years she had grown to know the staff very well and admired them all for their dedication to their cause. Half of them were volunteers, using their spare time to come to the center and help out. Aeris always compared them to the rare rays of light that would shine downin Midgar's darkness.

"I'm doing just fine. Dropping off the usual." Aeris set three baskets filled with flowers on the counter, freeing her hands to dig through her purse and pull out the $1000 gil check she handed over each month. The receptionist gave her the same whispered "thank you" she always did, her eyes grateful.

"This always helps us out so much. And these flowers!" She leaned over to catch a whiff of their pure scent. "They smell wonderful, what are they?"

Aeris handed one of the small apricot-colored flowers to the woman. "They're Verbenas. I just planted them two weeks ago and they're already springing up. Seems they were ready to bloom as soon as they hit the soil."

The old lady looked lovingly down at the flower she was holding. "Just divine… Well, Rosie should be in the lobby if you want to take those baskets to her."

Aeris nodded and grabbed the baskets, turning to make her way towards the lobby. Rosie was a nice older woman with a very rich husband.Her free time and good heart allowed her to dedicate herself to volunteer causes such as this.She loved to gossip but never meant any harm by it, always working long hours to make sure the patients were well taken care of. Aeris could see her small figure wipingdirt offa table diligently. Skipping up to her, she waved the baskets around, showing off like a little child.

"Oh my, aren't those something? And look at you, you're getting prettier every time I see you!" With her hands on her hips, she affectionately shook her head at Aeris, admiring the girl's youthful charm.

Aeris rolled her eyes playfully. "I am not. Do you have time to help me with these?"

"Sure, sure, let's get those in some water!"

They spent the next half hour in one of the kitchens, chatting while they poured water into dozens of vases that had held Aeris' flowers over the years. With the ordeal being a monthly ritual and all, they knew it by heart, and walked out to the lobby together, placing the vases in the same places they did each time. Once the room was positively blooming with the reds and purples of the petals, they moved on to decorate the visitor's lounge. Then they placed one flower in each of the in-house patients' mail boxes before moving on to the cafeteria, where they set the remaining ten flowers in glass cups on random tables.

After Aeris fixed the position of the last vase, she decided to grab two sodas for her and Rosie. The eatery was mildly busy since the visitor's hour was coming to a close. Tables here and there seated families and friends ending their conversations with loved ones before saying their goodbyes. Aeris was always amazed at the mixture of hope and worry that filled the place at that time; the struggle between the optimism for the future and the bad experiences of the past surfacing in firm hugs and tearful kisses. After picking up the two cans that had dropped to the bottom of the soda machine, she took a good look around her.

Sadly, some of the people she recognized were the same ones she'd seen there for three years. They would always seem to overcome their addictions, but once they were released from care, one thing or another would drive them back to their substances. Whether it was their lack of money, a bad relationship, or just the city, no one really knew.What really afflicted Aeris was that one of the people was Magda—her head housekeeper, the woman who had practically raised Aeris. She was not surprised to see her there, visiting her son, who had once again hit a bad spot in his fight against his addiction. There was a tragic irony to it all; that Magda worked for the kind of man who made money off her son's downfall.

Aeris always stayed out of Magda's way there. She didn't think it was her place to say hello or even apologize for her troubles. Magda never approached her either and the guilt in Aeris weighed heavy knowing why. She was about to go back to Rosie without a second glance at Magda and her son, but stopped dead in her tracks when she saw who was sitting with them.

_Reno!_

She jumped behind the soda machine, hoping he hadn't seen her. After a few moments, she dared to peek back around to make sure it was him. The wild red hair spilling over goggle-like sunglasses and mischievous features verified the matter. Holding the two cans up so they hid her face from view, she stepped out of her hiding place, then turned and ran back to Rosie. The woman was still messing with some of the flowers when Aeris grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the cafeteria.

"Just where is the fire, young lady?"

Aeris stopped behind the doorway, so they were shielded from view by the wall. She poked her head back around to look inside the cafeteria then turned back to Rosie looking quite vexed.

"Do you know who that guy sitting with Magda and her son is?"

With a raised brow, Rosie looked behind Aeris to search for what she was talking about. Recognition hit her and she turned back to the girl.

"Ah yes, Reno. Reno of the Turks."

She noticed the way Aeris bit down on her lip nervously, and asked, "Why? Did he cause you trouble?"

"Oh, no, no, no! I just, uhm, thought he was someone else." Aeris never quite figured out how she could be such a bad liar after all those years of living with Luke. Rosie was looking at her skeptically, so Aeris suggested going back to the lobby, hoping to avoid further questioning.

As they walked, Aeris touched on the subject of Reno again. "So, that Turk, is he a patient or what?" She figured if anyone there would know about him, it would be Rosie. The woman loved gossip and spread it freely.

"No, no. He's probably a friend of Magda's son."

Aeris helped her wipe up some tables, guessing that if she remained silent long enough, Rosie would continue the story on him. Her guess was right.

"He started coming to this place maybe five or six years ago, now that I think about it. Very young. Very, very young, he's only about eighteen now. Grew up in the slums, so he's always had one friend or another in here. Never visited much, and we all thought he'd stop coming all together when he was recruited by the Turks last year, but he still shows up once every few months. He has _no_ manners whatsoever, that boy. He used to be even worse, before the Turks hired him. He was probably about sixteen, visiting one of his friends, and do you know what he was doing? He was drinking beer right in front of him. Right in the middle of the cafeteria! And he was so rude when we told him to throw it away. It's sad really, what growing up in the slums can turn a person into."

Rosie shook her head critically, muttering about what a shame it all was. Aeris didn't really have anything to say to her. While the account of him bringing beer into a rehabilitation center didn't surprise her, the fact that he visited at all did. Despite not knowing him very well, she couldn't help but pin him as too selfish and uncaring for that sort of thing.

It didn't take much longer for them to finish up and for Aeris to say her goodbyes. She promised to be back within the month and began to make her way out. Sticking her hands in her pockets, she realized there was still a flower inside. Aeris hated to waste flowers; she thought they were all precious and deserved to be treasured. She looked around and saw a small girl hugging her mother goodbye, while the father stood by sadly. Aeris went over to them after their embrace ended and leaned down to the girl.

"Hey sweetie, want a flower?"

The girl nodded shyly, half-hiding behind her mother's legs. Smiling, Aeris handed the small flower over to her, unable to push away the tender feeling that arose in her upon seeing the girl hand it to her mother as a present to help her feel better. The parents thanked Aeris before she turned to walk away again. Once she was near the exit, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Figuring it was them again, she turned around smiling, but wound up face to face with Reno.

"You know," he began, scratching his chin in a mockingly contemplative look, "I thought people with your kind of money usually go to private rehab places out in the country when you're knocking back too many."

Aeris rolled her eyes. "That's not why I'm here."

"Yeah, I know. I saw you going all home-decorator on the place before you ducked behind the soda machine." He twirled one of her flowers between his fingers, grinning fiendishly. "You know, most people just put a check in the right place when they're feeling guilty about the state of the less fortunate."

"First off, I don't know who you think you are, saying anything about me feeling guilty. Second, I think it's a nice gesture to do something more than just 'put a check in the right place.' And third, _that's _for the patients." She tried to snatch the flower out of his hands, but he folded his arm behind his back, so it was out of her grasp.

"It's a nice gesture, alright. Trust me, you'll be their hero if they find a way to roll your flowers up and smoke them. 'Till then, they ain't gonna do much good here."

Aeris took a deep breath, trying to calm herself so that she wouldn't lose her cool. It seemed as if the patience she usually had for people completely diminished when it came to him. "If nothing other than money helps, then why are you here?"

She thought she could see his grin waver just the slightest bit. Had she actually managed to hit a nerve? "Old habits die hard."

She searched his face, finding this new, more serious expression very interesting on him. "It's not such a bad habit to have. You're giving your friend something money can't buy. Something more important." Aeris wasn't sure, but she could have sworn that the first bit of understanding passed between them at that moment. She wondered if she'd managed to crack past the mocking exterior of the Turk.

"Still say someone's gonna try to smoke your flowers." And the moment was over.

"I'm leaving." Aeris turned away from him, deciding to end the quarrel before it really got started. Unfortunately, he remained by her side.

"What a coincidence, so am I. I'll walk with you." She glared at him out of the corner of her eye.

As they exited through the sliding doors, he spoke up again. "You know, we should all go on a fun little outing sometime. You, Gloria, and me. We could invite Luke for kicks, make it a whole family thing, what do you say?"

Aeris turned on him, fuming. "_Why_ do you have to be so rude? I never did anything to you. If anything, you should be kissing my boots for me keeping my mouth shut about you sleeping with an _engaged _woman who, by the way, is about ten years older than you!"

He took a step closer to her, so that she had to tilt her face up sharply to face him. Straightening up to give herself an extra inch of height, Aeris refused to make herself feel small in front of him. It was proving more difficult as his jocular grin faded into a more dangerous expression. Although he still carried that lazy indolence about him, she felt as if his slightly narrowed aquamarine eyes were slicing into her.

"Mostly, I just give everyone a hard time. But there's something about you..." She flinched a bit when he brought his hand up to her shoulder and began to twirl a loose strand of her hair between his fingers the way he'd been doing to the flower. He watched it idly as he spoke on softly, "You've got this whole holier-than-thou attitude which I just can't stand. Ever since the first time I met you, you've acted like this prim and proper little schoolgirl. And I don't know where you get off thinking you're some divine being, considering your last name."

Something sparked inside Aeris. A fury roared within her that she hadn't experienced since that one morning with Gloria. Slapping his hand away roughly, she opened her mouth to give him an angry piece of her mind, but stopped when she realized he was looking at someone past her.

"Zack?"

"Reno!" A masculine voice behind her answered. Aeris twirled around and sure enough, there was Zack. Anger gave way to surprise and confusion.

"What are you doing here?" The question came in unison from all three of them. Reno and Aeris turned to each other, baffled about how the other knew Zack.

Zack was the first to speak up. "You two know each other?"

"No." Aeris crossed her arms stubbornly.

Reno laughed. "She's such a kidder. Of course we do."

If Aeris hadn't been shooting mental daggers at Reno, she would have noticed the slightly unpleasant look that crossed Zack's usually cheerful face. The ever-keen Turk, however, caught it and found it highly amusing.

"So what's up with you Zack? Just in the area?" Reno pulled his cigarettes out of his pocket and offered one to Aeris, knowing the act would annoy her. It did. Zack scratched his head, looking vaguely uncomfortable.

"I was actually here to see Aeris." The girl looked up at him, meeting his gaze for the first time. She tried hard to keep their last parting out of her mind.

"Yeah, the doc's keeping an eye on her." Reno nodded towards the rehabilitation center, a cigarette dangling through his partially open lips. "She's been hitting the liquor cabinet again."

"I have not!" She shoved the redhead, but it only served to widen his wicked grin. Rolling her eyes, she turned back to Zack. "I do volunteer work here."

Dusting off the part of his shirt that Aeris had grabbed when she shoved him, Reno spoke up. "And I'm just visiting. I'd love to stay and chitchat, but I've got more interesting things to do. You going to the bar tonight, Zack?"

"Probably, yeah. You and Rude going?"

With a final drag of his cigarette, he flicked it to the ground. "'Course. Later, man." His green eyes shifted to meet those of Aeris, who was doing her best to avoid looking at him. He addressed her in an overly sweet tone. "Bye,_flower girl_." Aeris' teeth dug into the edge of her tongue, keeping her temper in check. It was only once she heard the opening and closing of a car door behind her that she visibly relaxed.

As casually as possible, she spoke to Zack. "So, how did you know I was here?"

"Well, actually I called your house. Your dad's number isn't hard to find if you work for Shinra." He looked slightly abashed, and his shy smile did wonders in abating the annoyance the Turk had drawn out in Aeris. "It's just…you haven't really returned my calls. Anyway, one of the maids told me you'd be here. I didn't mean to intrude on anything or disturb you. I hope this isn't creepy."

Aeris shook her head, giving him a small smile. "Not creepy at all, and you weren't intruding on anything, trust me. How do you know Reno, anyway?"

"He's a Turk. They recruit for us and we work together a lot. I've known him for a year now, so we hang out sometimes. You?"

She scrunched her nose up slightly, giving off the clear impression that she wasn't too keen on discussing the subject. "It's a long story. We don't really get along."

"Ah, he's a good guy once you get to know him." Despite his words, Aeris could have sworn his smile brightened after her statement. She shrugged, notthat sure about how correct he was about Reno being a 'good guy.'

"So, I think I owe you an apology," she muttered. Her feet shuffled nervously beneath her.

"No, no, you don't. That's not why I'm here." When Aeris began to protest, he silenced her again. "Look, I'm sure you just needed your space. Don't worry about it. I'm here cause I wanted to show you something."

"Show me what?"

"It's a surprise. But I think you'll love it, honest."

"So go on, show me." Her eyes widened with childlike curiosity--her interest was piqued.

He thought that the small pout of impatience that formed on her pretty, pink lips managed to be as enticing as her smile. "Well, it's kind of a drive away. Do you have an hour?"

"Well, now I want to know what this surprise is, so I guess I'll have to spare one for you. I have my car right over there." Tilting sideways, she pointed behind her at her vehicle. But Zack had a different idea.

"Nah, let's take my ride." Aeris traced his line of vision and found that it was pointed directly at a large, black motorcycle a few feet away. A small lump of fear formed in the back of her throat, and she swallowed nervously, trying to get rid of it. With an uncertain smile, she followed Zack to what suddenly appeared to be the most dangerous hunk of metal she'd ever laid eyes on. After she climbed on behind him, she made him check and recheck that her helmet was on right, before letting him start the engine. As it roared to life under her, she wrapped her arms around Zack's waist and prayed for protection.

The buildings that lined the streets were blurs amidst their speed. At first, Aeris kept her eyes shut tightly and squealed every time they hit a turn. Zack, on the other hand, couldn't help but enjoy the way she clung to him and therefore didn't feel very inspired to slow down. It took a full five minutes before Aeris would open her eyes and felt her fear slowly ebb. No longer paralyzed with worry, she was able to take notice of things around her. Like how they were heading towards the slums. And how the buildings became so much drearier. But mostly, she noticed how muscular Zack's torso felt underneath the cotton shirt he was wearing. And that is how the ride stopped being _completely _unpleasant.

Her musings about Zack's great body were cut short once they were deeper in the slums. Although the pollution over the top of the plate prevented any day from being wholly beautiful, it was an absolute paradise compared to the scene underneath. Everything was dark. Everything was falling apart. Hopelessness leered through each broken window. Aeris thought the gloom might suffocate her. Almost involuntary, she pressed herself closer to Zack, needing to make sure that human warmth still existed.

They stopped in front of buildings that didn't look special at all. In fact, they looked abandoned, with no one in sight. Zack shut off the engine, and they both climbed down. Aeris looked around, more confused than ever about what he could possibly want to show her there.

Zack turned to her, seeming completely unaffected by their surroundings. "Alright, close your eyes." Aeris furrowed her brows, giving him a look that told him exactly what she thought of that suggestion. She was in the middle of a run-down area in the slums, and he wanted her to close her eyes and blindly follow his lead?

"C'mon, or it won't be a surprise. I promise I'll take care that you don't run into too many walls."

Aeris raised a brow. "Too many?" Nevertheless, his kind eagerness put an end to her suspicions and she closed her eyes, allowing him to take her hand and lead her slowly forward. Having lost one of her senses, she focused on the sounds around her and the way the ground felt. She heard him open a door before he had her wrap her arm around his and helped her step through what she assumed to be the doorway. They were inside a building, but she had no idea where. From the way their footsteps resounded, she guessed they were walking on a wooden floor. Everything around them sounded still and for some reason, she herself felt quieted.

"Okay," he whispered. "Open your eyes."

Her lids fluttered open and a small gasp fell through her lips. It was beautiful. She found herself in an old, deserted church, which was somehow in a spot under the plate that allowed rays of bright sunshine through. These beams danced in the darkness, making the very air seem holy and alive. She turned slowly on her heel to take the whole place in, stopping once her vision fell on the high rising altar at the front. Light spilled all around it, its image took her breath away. And beneath it…could it be? Rushing forward, she dropped to her knees to take a closer look at what looked like nothing less than a miracle.

Flowers. _Flowers._ Wild and untamed, and so very _alive_. They had fought their way through the weeds, blooming proudly in soil that was thought to carry no life. While they weren't the dainty things she was used to growing in the greenhouses, she couldn't help but admire their strength and resilience. She was so caught up in her wonder that she barely noticed when Zack knelt down next to her.

"I hope you don't think this is dumb or whatever."

She turned to him wrought with so much emotion that she couldn't bring herself to say anything.

"It's just, I've never seen flowers grow in Midgar on their own. And I know this is a pretty shabby place, so I hope you're not mad I dragged you down here. But like, I know this is going to sound cheesy or strange or whatever, but, I don't know. It reminded me of you—that they'd bloom despite no one looking out for them. They're as out of place and, well, asstriking as you."

Her continuing silence caused him to turn red. He scratched his head nervously. "Ah, I'm an idiot. I don't know what I'm spewing on about. This is retar--."

Zack never got a chance to finish his statement. For in that moment, the doubts and the fear and the bad memories lost their grasp on Aeris. If only for that moment, she saw Zack for what he was. The most kind-hearted, thoughtful, _beautiful_ man she had ever met. And there was no way for her to tell him that. So she reached forward before even thinking, and pulled his lips down to hers, conveying all of her raw emotions for him in one passionate touch. She'd never kissed anyone before, but she didn't care. With him guiding her, she'd learn how—how to push aside all her hesitations, how to not second-guess everything, how to let herself go and just _feel_.

And by god, did it feel beautiful.

* * *

"_This_ is what you're paid to do!" A handful of test tubes smashed into the wall behind some very frightened looking lab workers. A moment earlier, they'd been taking a break from their work, sitting around a table talking over coffee and newspapers. They'd been doing experiments non-stop for the past four hours and thought that the head scientist wouldn't mind if they rested for a half hour.

The way he fumed before them, his scrawny form shaking with rage as he belittled them, indicated that he certainly did mind. He stormed towards the table they were sitting around, grabbing the newspaper out of one of their hands.

"Reading this _trash_? This unimportant _trash_? This is why you will never amount to anything in science!" He ripped it open, spitting out the titles of various headlines contemptuously. "_Top Ten Hot New Midgar Restaurants._ TRASH. _Featherdust Wins The Chocobo Racing Gold Cup Final. _TRASH. _Interview With Shinra And His New Partner._ TRASH. TRASH. TRASH!"

With each word he shook the paper at them, as if it were their fault that such "trash" was published. Snarling, he looked down at the paper one last time, ready to throw it in the bin and order his assistants back to work. But something that he saw caused him to freeze. He brought the paper closer to his face, scrutinizing the image that had caused his sudden immobility.

"P…professor Hojo?"

"Shut up." It was a picture of President Shinra standing next to a man the caption said was Luke Cole. But Hojo wasn't looking at either of them. His eyes were focused on the background, where a girl was seen in the corner. She had long brown hair and carried a neutral expression, seemingly unaware of being in the picture at all. While Hojo wasn't sure exactly _who_ she was, he was positive he'd dealt with her in the past. He never forgot important subjects—and right then, his memory was screaming that she was someone _very _important. Licking his chapped lips hungrily, he made it his aim to find out who.

* * *

A/N: Yeah, so the short chapter thing didn't last very long. Sorry, I guess it's not really my style. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, nevertheless. I'm not sure if any of my symbolism and whatnot is coming across at all or is just looking stupid. But I will say it's a lot of fun thinking of plot devices that tie in the story from the game with the twist I've thrown in. Hope I'm not making this too redundant or boring.

Anyway, biiiiig thank you to everyone who reads this. And an even bigger thank you to all who have taken the time to review. I appreciate every single word I get from you guys. Thank you, thank you, thank you.


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